Angela Merkel for Premier | EU Commission Elections
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CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
Republic Square
Trondheim, Fremet
Angela Merkel approached the podium before a large crowd in Republic Square at the base of the Fremetia Tower, with the Anthem of Europe playing in the background.
People of Europa:
This is an important inflection point in the history of our Union. Just as these past elections here in Fremet will surely have groundbreaking consequences for years to come, these Commission elections come at a great time of change for the European Union and its memberstates. We have observed the renewed rise of communism. We have observed coups, overt political instability, and a general ineffectiveness of our institutions to address the crises we face. In times of great change, many will call for reactionary policies, pushing us back into our sandboxed nationstates or towards some sort of federal union— neither of which is a solution to the immense challenges facing us all. We must maintain a steady course and not stray down the garden path. And with that, I formally announce my campaign for Premier Commissioner of the European Union.
As a long-standing politician, I know how to remain focused to achieve sensible goals. It is my firm belief that one of the EPA's strongest tenets is its ability to develop policies with broad appeal, palpable to even the most remote of memberstates. We must take this great asset and use it to further the cause of this Union and pursue policy agendas that serve not the personal interests of memberstates and their politicians— or those that fail to serve some memberstates at all. Our immense diversity must be transformed into a true resource, not some liability or obstacle to reform.
We stand here today before one of this country's greatest symbols. A beacon of liberty and freedom that calls the free people of Europe to these shores.
We have seen first hand the consequences of not extending the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens of Europe to all. As such, I will seek to expand the UDoHR to include non-EU citizens. Every human being deserves for their natural rights to be protected, and nationality should have no bearing on what protections are afforded to them.
I will seek to establish a standardised maritime law, including the codification and standardisation of transiting tariffs and tolls. By establishing a set framework for nations and other entities to follow, we can better enforce national laws and create a more clear permitting system allowing for low-friction trade between memberstates. A codified set of maritime law will increase the efficiency of the European bureaucracy and the organisational efficiency of individual memberstates as a standard set of practices would be much more steady waters to navigate than the current jumbled mess of overlapping (and often contradictory) national laws.
In lieu of a broad transportation and education plan, I will instead seek to establish a special development fund. By giving memberstates access to a stable source of low-interest loans, the European Central Bank will be able to shore up budgets in times of need without offering outright subsidies.
Though I may not have a degree in pedagogy, I can say with upmost certainty that it is not the place of the European Council to implement a standardised curriculum across the continent. Doing so would require the reformation of the education infrastructure of dozens of countries and likely lead to years of lost productivity and incalculable losses involved in the loss of a coherent and quality education. All Europeans have the right to an adequate education, but the Union is ill-equipped to handle such a massive— and unnecessary— undertaking. Concerns over education in individual memberstates should be addressed at that level. It is unreasonable to expect that a shared curriculum can be implemented in such a culturally and systematically diverse continent.
I will seek to streamline the operations of the European Union and avoid extraneous programmes that would detract from our central goal:
We, the sovereign nations of the European Union, in order to forge more cohesive bonds between our peoples, to safeguard peace and improve diplomatic relations, to advance achievements of humanity, to promote democracy and good governance, to flourish in economic prosperity, to guarantee liberty and equality, forever united in diversity
There is no mention of 5G, sweeping education reform, or an overly complicated transportation infrastructure that would only serve to divide us on the minutia. The European Union is a powerful tool that must be used not as a broad, blunt instrument, but as the vehicle by which nations come together in the name of cooperation. By establishing this climate of mutual understanding, general peace, and accountability for actions taken, we establish the means for like-minded nations to go beyond that cooperative framework established in the European Union. The viability of broad, pan-regional programmes is certainly a tough nut to crack, but agreements individually tailored for memberstates that compliment existing lines of cooperation in the broader Union serve to create prosperous ties between memberstates. Integration cannot be rushed, or we risk losing the immense progress that we have made thus far.
It was in this great square that the liberation of Fremet from communist occupation was declared. Our revolution was successful. The success of this great project is yet to be determined. Let us continue to carry the shining light of Europe into the future. Thank you.
Merkel steps down from the podium, the Anthem of Europe playing in reprise
