1)
In
your opinion how does the rise of Eurosceptic or nationalist parties affect the
working of the European Parliament?
2)
At
the moment the EU is pursuing a policy of austerity in response to the economic
crisis. Don’t you agree with President Hollande and Prime Minister Renzi that
Europe also needs a much stronger stimulus package to relaunch the European
economy? Are there any other alternatives?
3)
Do
you think that the Maastricht rules are still valid or should we modify them to
stimulate economic growth?
4)
What
should the EU do that it is not already doing to deal more effectively with the migrant crisis?
5)
Have
the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU and its partners in response to its
occupation of Crimea and interference in eastern Ukraine been effective? If
not, what else should the EU do, or should it prioritize its relationship with
Russia?
6)
What
role can the EU, and perhaps Germany in particular, play in promoting more
dialogue and cooperation between the US and Russia as regards the Syrian
question?
7)
Do
you think that the EU is being blamed for things and events that are not
actually its fault? I’m thinking of the migrant crisis and the economic
recession.
8)
Can
you tell us something about security cooperation in Europe as regards the
terrorist threat? There’s not much in the public domain. Can you tell us a
little more?
9)
What
do you think are the real root causes of Euroscepticism?
10) Do you think this might be a good moment to relaunch the
European integration process?
11) The latest measures concerning the refugee
redistribution quota system seem to be fairly effective, so do you think a more
extensive use of such measures would reduce public support for Eurosceptic
parties?
12) What lessons do
you think the Greek economic crisis has for other EU member states? Is there a
real risk of the break-up of the Euro area?
13) Should the EU make a real effort to create an
effective collective security outside and separate from the NATO system?
14) Is the migrant crisis putting the Schengen rules at
risk?
15) What can the EU
do to strengthen the new unity government in Libya and help it to enforce the
rule of law? This is obviously a priority for Italy, but is it also a priority
for Germany?
16) Would you like
to comment on current European efforts to reduce pollution, for example in the
car industry?
17) What can the EU institutions do to improve its image
and communicate better with its citizens?
18) Given the USA ‘s
historical integration process and policies, which made it into a multicultural
state and contributed to building its economy, do you think Europe could take
advantage of the current migration flows in a similar way? If so, how should
this be achieved in terms of shared policies and social integration?
19) In light of the
heavy dependence of Europe on Russian
energy supplies and the fact that it is our largest neighbor, how should Europe
now deal with Russia in order to protect its interests?
20) How do you respond to those who argue that Germany has
too much influence over the European Central Bank’s policies?
21) What are the prospects for the development of the
European Defence Policy in the near future? Is there a willingness on the part
of the German government to promote this policy?
22) Can you comment on the recent visit of Chancellor
Angela Merkel to Turkey? Was its outcome seen as positive by the German public?
23) Do you think
that Europe is too dependent for its energy supplies on politically unstable or
potentially unfriendly countries? Do you think this dependence will be significantly reduced thanks to the new
2030 Framework for climate and energy?
24) What will be the benefits of the nuclear deal with
Iran for Europe?
25) Would you say that the recent election results in
Poland and Portugal suggests that Euroscepticism is unlikely to decline in the
near future and may actually be growing?
26) Do you think that allowing more immigrants into Europe
could affect the level of support for the concept of European citizenship,
something which was already lacking?
27) With no shift in Germany’s stance regarding Eurobonds
and the resulting impasse on a the project for a banking union, should we
perhaps reconsider its priority status?
28) What further steps need to be taken to strengthen the
idea of European identity?
29) Is there a specific role for the EU in the Syrian
crisis?
30) This year’s Oktoberfest has seen a sharp decline in
attendance. Do you think this is the result of the general economic situation,
specific price rises, or is it connected to the refugee problem?
31) The European Central Bank is based on neoclassical
economic principles. In the light of the current economic crisis and given the
difficulty experienced by Mario Draghi in trying to adopt expansionist monetary
measures, don’t you think that the ECB should be reformed according to neo-Keynesian,
less strictly neoclassical principles?
32) Germany is one of the few countries in which
nationalist parties have not made significant gains. How do you explain that?
33) What are the main obstacles for EU foreign policy to
overcome for it to become more than just the sum of its parts?
34) Realistically, which countries do you see as likely
candidates for a future EU enlargement, and is enlargement less of a priority
at the moment?
35) Could you comment on the EU’s role in the negotiations
for the recent nuclear deal with Iran?
36) Our question concerns the climate change negotiations.
France holds the presidency of the COP21. What is, in your view, the role that
the EU should play in the context of this conference and what is Germany’s
position in relation to the main issues to be negotiated?
