We need a stronger Europe to overcome the current issue of national debt and the Euro crisis. This is why we are fully behind a strong European Union based on solidarity. EU structural policies are exerting a positive outcome on the state level. We are putting our weight behind ensuring that things stay that way.
Baden-Württemberg lies at the very heart of Europe. With a population of just under eleven million and as the number one region for innovation, Baden-Württemberg is larger and has more economic muscle than many of the European Union’s sovreign member states. As a significant region, Baden-Württemberg is helping to shape the face of Europe – with Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann and Minister for Europe Peter Friedrich at the helm.
The crisis has brought Europe to a decisive turning point. To steer Europe towards a successful future, the EU’s role needs to be redetermined. Baden-Württemberg aspires to be a part of the development process which will shape the future of the European Union. From the viewpoint of the State Government, one thing is clear: It is only with a stronger Europe that it will be possible to avert the crisis and safeguard the weight of Europe’s position in the global community for the future.
Many members of the public hold a critical view of the European Union. The State Government intends to shape its European policy through active exchange with its citizens. Using a broad-based workshop process, we have sought dialogue with members of the scientific community and with society as a whole in a process which has produced valuable impetus for our European program.
Emerging successful from the Euro crisis
Europe is currently reeling from the deepest crisis it has experienced since the end of the Second World War. Since May 2010, the EU has launched a series of emergency measures to contain the effects of the crisis. As the salvation of the Euro is clearly in the interests of Baden-Württemberg, the State Government is fully supportive of the adopted bailout measures and the fiscal treaty. Our powerful export economy reaps enormous benefits from the European single market and from the existence of a common currency: Over half of the goods we export are destined for other EU countries. And equally importantly, Europe is a community based on the same solidarity and common values which brought us peace and freedom after the Second World War.
Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS)
