BERLIN, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) has sided with French President Emmanuel Macron and therefore against his country's outgoing Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (CDU) over the European Union (EU) reform, German media reported on Thursday.
Gabriel released a position paper in which he endorsed the plans outlined by Macron for closer EU and Eurozone cooperation, as well as launching a searing attack on the defensive stance adopted by Schaeuble in this context.
Europe needed visions rather than technocrats, the document circulated among German media argued.
Schaeuble's comments on Macron's proposals showed in a "depressing fashion," how little willingness existed in the current Finance Ministry to further German interests by "investing in the idea of European unity" and "closing the deficit of legitimacy" which existed in trans-national governance on the continent.
According to Gabriel, Schaeuble's comments could only be understood as a clear rejection of Macron's position.
The SPD politician criticized that the Finance Ministry had only offered its view on the small share of ideas concerned with Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in response to the French president's widely-publicized speech.
Schaeuble's stance hereby risked being interpreted as a "typically German" endorsement of technocratic financial governance which had already led to the "political isolation" of Germany in recent years and in turn contributed to the unwillingness of some EU member states to play a constructive role during the refugee crisis.
The paper warned that all Schaeuble had to offer was the threat of further austerity measures under the guise of "structural reforms."
Gabriel believes that ultimately, however, Germany could only prosper if its neighboring countries shared in its economic success.
Gabriel therefore urged his country to "stand by France's side" and support implementing a "broad European reform agenda".
Wolfgang Schaeuble will step down from his current post as finance minister and instead assume the role of President of the new Federal Parliament (Bundestag) in the aftermath of national elections on Sept. 24.
Gabriel is also likely to depart the Foreign Ministry upon formation of a new federal government, as the SPD has announced its return to the opposition benches following a disappointing electoral outcome.
