Von der Leyen Advocates Two-Speed Europe to Overcome EU Deadlock
"Our ambition should always be to reach agreement among all 27 Member States," von der Leyen wrote in a letter to EU leaders ahead of a summit Thursday at Alden Biesen castle in Belgium, according to reports. "However, where a lack of progress or ambition risks undermining Europe's competitiveness or capacity to act, we should not shy away from using the possibilities foreseen in the treaties on enhanced cooperation," she added.
Her remarks coincide with Germany’s push for a “two-speed” Europe, intended to overcome decision-making gridlock and bolster the bloc’s economies. In late January, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil suggested that a core group of member states should move forward on critical policies to make Europe stronger and more self-reliant.
"Now is the time for a Europe of two speeds," Klingbeil said at an event in Berlin, later inviting France, Poland, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands to a video conference aimed at setting an “ambitious and concrete” agenda to enhance Europe’s sovereignty, resilience, and competitiveness.
Von der Leyen also pointed to the single market as a key obstacle to economic growth, noting that inconsistent national regulations function like a 45% tariff on goods and a 110% tariff on services. She called for urgent steps to remove trade barriers and harmonize rules, particularly addressing the practice of “gold-plating,” in which countries—especially Germany—impose additional national requirements on top of EU legislation.
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