BERLIN (MNI) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday there
is reason to be optimistic about the country’s economy, but at the same
time she cautioned that the global recovery is not yet fully entrenched.
“We have reason to be optimistic,” Merkel said in a speech in
parliament. “Germany is back on a growth track…We are today the growth
engine of Europe.”
The Chancellor praised the resilience the German labor market has
shown during the worst crisis in the post-war period. “Maybe
unemployment will even sink below 3 million,” she said.
Still, Merkel acknowledged that “we still have quite a long way
before us until the global upswing is really assured.”
The crisis has shown large imbalances between EU member states
regarding their fiscal situation and economic growth forces, Merkel
said. She defended her government’s budget consolidation course,
reckoning that “it will be an example for Europe.”
Merkel reaffirmed her determination to push for a financial market
tax on the international level. “We will try to convince as many
countries as possible,” she vowed. “We won’t give up.”
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com
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