European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has warned Germans to respect the new eurosceptic Italian government, having told Italians to work harder and stop blaming the EU for the country's problems.
The German media have already coined Sunday's election the Wutwahl (rage election), due to the governing parties taking a kicking. Some Europeans appealed to Merkel to work for stability, while others said they saw it coming.
Germany is growing increasingly dubious that a deal on a third bailout for Greece can be sealed this month, the daily Bild reported Thursday citing a government source.
Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Greece's new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday and wished him "much strength and success" after his anti-austerity party's election victory.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she backed a new multi-billion-euro European Commission plan to kickstart the EU's flagging economy, if the funds are invested wisely.
Germany’s finance minister has pledged to keep the UK in the EU following a damaging defeat for Britain over the appointment of the EU Commission president which pushed the UK closer to the exit door.
Jean-Claude Juncker was named the next president of the EU Commission on Friday afternoon in an appointment which has caused a rift between Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Chancellor Angela Merkel gently backed Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission president on Tuesday, but appeared open to other suggestions in a summit between the leaders of Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain.
High level EU politicians have cautioned against panic after two days of turbulence on the financial markets. Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg and Euro group president said that while he is not ruling out the possibility of a recession in the US, he does not believe that the credit crisis will necessarily mean a slowdown for the Eurozone economy. He warned about exaggerated pessimism late Monday and said “In comparison to the US, the fundamental data in Europe is solid.”
