Bundesfinanzminister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) gave a clear dismissal of community‑wide European bonds. He told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that, as Germany’s finance minister, he will “always stand for stability”.
Klingbeil did admit that the debate over Eurobonds is evolving and pointed to “more nuanced” remarks from Deutsche Bank chief Christian Sewing and Bundesbank president Joachim Nagel. Nagel had recently dropped the Bundesbank’s outright rejection of EU community debt. Still, Klingbeil insisted that the federal government’s position remains unchanged and that there is no current need to alter it, arguing that the EU already has ample funding. Thus the Federal Ministry and the Bundesbank essentially hold different views in this critical discussion.
He also addressed the possibility of Unicredit acquiring Commerzbank. “What Unicredit has done to Commerzbank was unfriendly” he said. Germany remains committed to keeping Commerzbank independent and is ready to support it. “A hostile takeover is repeated in the conversation, and we reject that” Klingbeil clarified, agreeing with the chancellor that Germany backs the European banking union in principle, though the manner of implementation is decisive.
