“Everybody has been asking Germany to spend more and now Germany is spending,” Vestager said at an event in Berlin Sept. 7. “So I think we should make the best of it.”It’s a telling example of how Germany has become far more explicit, and unapologetic about calling the shots in Europe. That means allowing more state intervention and investment, easing the competition rules that hamper giant mergers and tightening financial ties between member states. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire then vowed to change the competition rules. The next plank of their strategy is to target the competition rules, the touchstone of the single market.

Source: Hindustan Times September 14, 2020 08:07 UTC