Angela Merkel has said Germany would like to be a “constructively partner” with the UK as it seeks to renegotiate its EU membership – and suggested that a treaty change was not impossible.
Her comments came after talks with UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Cameron has vowed to renegotiate the terms of the UK’s relationship with the EU ahead of an in/out referendum on Britain’s membership in 2017.
After talks with David Cameron, the German leader said her “clear-cut” view was that the UK should stay in the EU.
While there was already “common ground” across many areas, she said progress on welfare would be “more protracted”.
The British prime minister said there was no “magic” solution to reform but “where there’s a will there’s a way”.
The PM, who is on a whistle-stop tour of Europe trying to gather support for changes he wants before holding the UK’s EU membership referendum, also repeated his call for Fifa boss Sepp Blatter to stand down as soon as possible.
‘Guiding principle’
Speaking at a press conference after their talks in Berlin, Mrs Merkel said the two leaders had begun to talk about “specific issues” of future reform after Mr Cameron’s general election victory.
She told journalists that Germany and other EU countries had “red lines” – such as upholding the principle of freedom of movement – but that she hoped as far as possible to accommodate the UK’s demands.
“Where there is a desire there is a way,” she said. “That should be our guiding principle.”
She added: “We would like to be a part of the process that is going on in Great Britain at the moment and we would like to be a constructive partner in this process.
Source: BBC News
