Some Questions for the German Minister of State for Europe 29 October 2015

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?