Europe - A Political Success Story
After centuries of bloody conflict, the integration of states and their interests has defeated nationalism and brought Europe an unparalleled period of peace, prosperity and stability. That is why the completion of European integration is our top political objective.
Joint action is Europe’s answer to the changes wrought by globalization. Across the European continent cooperation and integration have succeeded centuries of confrontation. Never before in their history have the peoples and states of Europe lived and worked together as peaceably as today.
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(© picture-alliance/beyond/Andreas Bröckel)
This does not mean, however, that as members of the European Union we can afford to be complacent. The economic and financial crisis has revealed structural problems in Europe that must be addressed and which can be tackled effectively if we act together. For these joint efforts we have a sound basis: a common internal market, common standards for goods and services and a common currency.
A common foreign policy, finally, that enables Europe to make its voice more clearly heard in the world is a stated goal of both Germany and the EU as a whole. The European External Action Service envisaged in the Treaty of Lisbon was launched on 1 December 2010 with Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at its head.
This will give the European Union added clout as a global player. If we want others to respect our common values and interests, after all, Europe must make the most of the political influence it wields around the world.
