Angela Merkel Queen of Europe - not Cameron's auntie

Angela Merkel on a one-day flying visit to London today warned she would disappoint anyone hoping she would either support or condemn the Prime Minister's a reform agenda David Cameron threw in tea with the Queen lunch in Downing Street in his speech to Parliament for the German Chancellor who went out of her way to praise Britain's role in European history Tsar political editor Garry given no report Heads of Government rarely get backing him Palace thrown into their London City Break itinerary but Chancellor Merkel is no ordinary head of government she is the queen of Europe for the invitation I'm very honored when it was a very busy day thank you but it's more geeky to have busy day and the Prime Minister was hoping she would do her duty by him when she came to address MPs and peers in Parliament but she is a cautious politician slow to show her hand a cool headed rationalist the speaker introducing her reminded MPs of the title of her doctoral thesis the Merkel doctorate is in a hard science namely physics and it involves to be precise and I quote investigations of the mechanisms of decay reactions with single bond breaking and calculation of the velocity constraints on the basis of quantum chemical and statistical methods most of her speech was delivered in German but after hearing of how government sources had raised expectations that she'd dramatically back David Cameron's Europe strategy here she opened in plain Irish I've been told many times during the last few days that there are very special expectations of my speech here today supposedly also I have heard some expect my speech to pave the way for a refund the mental reform of the European architecture which will satisfy all kinds of alleged or actual British wishes I am afraid they are in for a disappointment she closed her speech again in English warning against those who hope for drastic change in Europe Europe will not move forward by leaps and bounds but step by step Chancellor Merkel praised Britain's role in two world wars and said its place was in the European Union after Parliament David Cameron welcomed her to Downing Street even showed her the flat upstairs Chancellor Merkel's praise for Britain's historic roles if few civ support for David Cameron's European mission to get a renegotiation followed by a referendum in 2017 was a bit more low-key when I put it to her that some people in number 10 suggest David Cameron's rather charmed her and that she sees him rather like a lovable but errant relation she looked underwhelmed is it true you think of David Cameron as a naughty nephew he laughs she glowers the biggest bit of help he might want is a categorical assurance that there will be a fundamental treaty ready for him to put to the British people by 2017 is that a realistic timetable this is for me surfs wash gently does David Cameron for me it's a matter of course that David stands out for the UK's interest and for him it is a matter of course and I stand up for Germany's interest and the good thing is we've always found a solution in the end on that note we mustn't be late for your tea with a queen she did say where there's a will there's a way and the two agree on the need for a clampdown on EU benefit migrants but David Cameron's got many in his party salivating for a much bigger reshaping of Europe and the Chancellor didn't give them much to chew on

Channel: Channel 4 News

Views: 285,082

Keywords: Angela Merkel, Queen, Europe, David Cameron, European Union

Id: n7lPdJ0QN-Y

Length: 4min 12sec (252 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 27 2014