Most-Hid: Schulz's Opinion on United States of Europe Part of Debate

Bratislava, December 8 (TASR) – German SPD party chief Martin Schulz’s statements on the need to transform the EU into a United States of Europe by 2025 don’t represent the opinion of the German Government, even though it’s likely that SPD will be in the new Cabinet, said Slovak governing-coalition party Most-Hid on Friday.

Instead, Schulz’s comments should be regarded as a contribution towards the debate on the EU’s future, said Most-Hid spokesperson Klara Debnar.

“We’ve been saying for a relatively long time that it’s our strategic goal to be at the [EU’s] core. Slovakia at the moment is in the closest form of cooperation possible: it’s part of the Schengen area, of the eurozone and it’s also joined the PESCO [defence cooperation project],” said Debnar, adding that there are also spheres with more intense cooperation representing certain risks, however.

“It’s necessary to set priorities at home, but also boundaries and red lines that we don’t want to transgress,” said Debnar.

The Most-Hid spokesperson noted that ever growing integration directed at establishing a federation was present at the very founding of the European Community.

“So, the idea is nothing new; it only contains a new element, namely a timeframe, which we view as unrealistic, however,” said Debnar.