Germany's
insistence on austerity in the euro zone has left Europe more divided
than ever and a break-up of the European Union is no longer
inconceivable, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told Der Spiegel
magazine. Gabriel,
whose Social Democrats (SPD) are junior partner to Chancellor Angela
Merkel's conservatives in her ruling grand coalition, said strenuous
efforts by countries like France and Italy to reduce their fiscal
deficits came with political risks."I
once asked the chancellor, what would be more costly for Germany: for
France to be allowed to have half a percentage point more deficit, or
for Marine Le Pen to become president?" he said, referring to the leader
of the far-right National Front."Until
today, she still owes me an answer," added Gabriel, whose SPD favors a
greater focus on investment while Merkel's conservatives put more
emphasis on fiscal discipline as a foundation for economic prosperity. The
SPD is expected to choose Gabriel, their long-standing chairman who is
also economy minister, to run against Merkel for chancellor in
September's federal election, senior party sources said on Thursday.
Asked
if he really believed he could win more votes by transferring more
German money to other EU countries, Gabriel replied: "I know that this
discussion is extremely unpopular." "But
I also know about the state of the EU. It is no longer unthinkable that
it breaks apart," he said in the interview, published on Saturday. "Should
that happen, our children and grandchildren would curse us," he added.
"Because Germany is the biggest beneficiary of the European community -
economically and politically." (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Stephen Powell) REUTERS
