German president: We do not want to dominate Europe

German President Joachim Gauck has called on Great Britain not to turn its back on the EU and stressed that his country “does not want to dominate Europe”.

Izvor: Beta

Friday, 22.02.2013.

17:06

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BERLIN German President Joachim Gauck has called on Great Britain not to turn its back on the EU and stressed that his country “does not want to dominate Europe”. Speaking about the EU’s future, he said that only united Europe could be an important factor on the global scene. German president: We do not want to dominate Europe However, British Prime Minister David Cameron has offered to hold a referendum on the EU membership. “We need your traditions, your pragmatism and your courage. More Europe cannot mean a Europe without you,” Gauck told British citizens. Germany has often been criticized for its stance on the eurozone’s debt crisis and the president pointed out that nobody in Germany wanted to tell other states what to do and that his country did not want to dominate Europe. “I want to assure all citizens of neighboring countries that I cannot imagine any of Germany’s policymakers seeking to impose a German diktat. More Europe does not mean a German Europe. For us, more Europe means a European Germany,” Gauck noted. “We do not want to intimidate others, nor force our ideas on them,” the German president said in his first speech since he took office in March 2012. He stressed that Germany, that had been considered the "sick man of Europe” ten years ago, had taken measures that had made it more competitive, adding that it wanted to share the experience with other countries. Gauck added that the Germans owed Europe for helping their country get back on its feet after 1945. The German president’s role is largely ceremonial. Joachim Gauck (Beta/AP) Beta

German president: We do not want to dominate Europe

However, British Prime Minister David Cameron has offered to hold a referendum on the EU membership.

“We need your traditions, your pragmatism and your courage. More Europe cannot mean a Europe without you,” Gauck told British citizens.

Germany has often been criticized for its stance on the eurozone’s debt crisis and the president pointed out that nobody in Germany wanted to tell other states what to do and that his country did not want to dominate Europe.

“I want to assure all citizens of neighboring countries that I cannot imagine any of Germany’s policymakers seeking to impose a German diktat. More Europe does not mean a German Europe. For us, more Europe means a European Germany,” Gauck noted.

“We do not want to intimidate others, nor force our ideas on them,” the German president said in his first speech since he took office in March 2012.

He stressed that Germany, that had been considered the "sick man of Europe” ten years ago, had taken measures that had made it more competitive, adding that it wanted to share the experience with other countries.

Gauck added that the Germans owed Europe for helping their country get back on its feet after 1945.

The German president’s role is largely ceremonial.

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