Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble is more Brussels than Berlin. Horst Seehofer , the leader of the CSU half of Merkel’s governing CDU-CSU, is more Bavaria than Brussels (or Berlin), a difference that explains this item from Der Spiegel:
Seehofer also criticized a suggestion by Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble that Germany should hold a referendum on a new constitution that could relinquish national powers to Brussels.
“Hands off our constitution! We have this constitution to thank for the most stable state and the most stable democracy there has ever been in German history. We don’t want a different constitution,” said Seehofer.
He said he wouldn’t accept the transfer of major powers to a “European monster state.” He said he would turn the next general election and the Bavarian regional election, both scheduled for 2013, into a vote on Europe. “We will put this question to the people.”
Merkel on Tuesday denied there were any differences between her and Seehofer on European policy. She said her coalition was united on the issue.
Uh, OK.
The EU was (we were always told) designed to anchor Germany’s democracy. Now it is wrecking it.