Economics
Laschet Says EU Budget Rules Must Be Reinstated After Covid
- Biden’s Europe trip is a sign of revival of the global system
- Gas will flow through Nord Stream, CDU chief tells Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
Armin Laschet, the front-runner to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor, called for the reinstatement of European Union budget rules once the pandemic is over as he outlined plans for a somewhat more assertive Germany after September’s election.
The 60-year-old leader of the Christian Democratic Union said Germany too needs to return to constitutional spending limits, rejecting a push by the Greens -- his most likely coalition partner -- to loosen the rules to allow more public investment in new technology. In another potential source of coalition tension, he insisted Russian gas would flow through the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline.