Following the French-German meeting in Meseberg, Udo Bullmann, President of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said:

 

"We are glad to see that a reinforcement of the Economic and Monetary Union seems to be a shared concern of the governments of the Eurozone's biggest economies. We therefore welcome the readiness of the French and German governments to join the debate with joint proposals on, for instance, a Eurozone budget and a European Monetary Fund. Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron must now use their clout in the European Council to make real progress possible before next year's elections. As Socialists and Democrats, we have got our priorities straight in this debate. For us, the overhaul of the Economic and Monetary Union must contribute to the fight against poverty and inequalities, and aim at putting Europe on a path of sustainable economic, social, and environmental development. This is what further debates about potential institutional innovation must really focus on.

 

"In order to reach consent on economic reforms, it is, however, important that the member states do not let themselves be divided by the populist debate started by the German Minister of Interior. We need to find European solutions to the migration issue as soon as possible. The proposal by the European Parliament lies on the table – now we need the member states to deliver.