Merkel meets Cameron for talks on EU
(7 Nov 2012) SHOTLIST 1. Mid of British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walking into news conference 2. SOUNDBITE (English) David Cameron, British Prime Minister: "I believe it would be wrong for the European budget to increase at a time when we are having to make difficult decisions, not just in Britain but all over the European Union in terms of getting our budgets back towards balance That's why I've said what I think, at best should be a cut, at worst a freeze." 3. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor: "The UK and Germany are both net contributors so there is a lot of interest that we share, and we obviously also want to see to it that other European countries are drawn closer into the fold, and member countries, neighbouring countries are drawn closer into the fold, but we all of us obviously have to do something that will stand up in the court of public opinion back home." 4. End of news conference STORYLINE Over a venison dinner at London's Downing Street, German Chancellor Angela Merkel lobbied one of the European Union's most reluctant members to back a programme of integration which would see more powers and more money handed to EU headquarters in Brussels. Merkel faces a tough sell with British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose ruling Conservative Party has never been particularly enthusiastic about European integration. Cameron is under pressure from a large and vocal group of lawmakers in his own party to stand firm against any attempt to expand the EU's remit or its budget. Speaking to reporters before the dinner, Cameron said that debt-saddled European nations struggling to recover from the global financial downturn could ill afford to pour more money into Brussels' coffers. "I believe it would be wrong for the European budget to increase at a time when we are having to make difficult decisions, not just in Britain but all over the European Union in terms of getting our budgets back towards balance," Cameron told reporters. "That's why I've said what I think, at best should be a cut, at worst a freeze." Merkel, speaking through an interpreter, acknowledged that every European leader needed "to do something that will stand up in the court of public opinion back home." But she declined to say whether she supported Cameron's push for a freeze, saying she wanted to speak to the prime minister about it first. It could be a strained conversation. Before her trip to London, Merkel said she wanted the upcoming summit of EU government leaders to come up with a plan to give the bloc more powers to intervene in national budgets. In a speech to legislators in Brussels, she said that she wanted all EU member states to eventually adopt the euro currency and calling for transforming the European Commission - which currently drafts EU legislation - into "something like a European government." Such talk is anathema to Cameron's and his Conservatives, many of whom believe the EU already has too much power and some of whom are pushing for a referendum on Britain's continued membership in the body. Such a move would in turn be disturbing for Merkel, who is counting on strengthening links between European countries to get a grip on the enormous debts racked up by countries such as Greece and Spain which threaten the stability of the continent's single currency. In her speech to European legislators on Thursday she described the idea of Britain turning its back on Europe as unimaginable. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
