Press Release
Europe at the crossroads
Guest contribution by François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Banque de France, and Jens Weidmann, President of the Bundesbank published in Le Monde and in Süddeutschen Zeitung on 8 February 2016.
Today, Europe is at the crossroads. The debt crisis is still not completely over, and unemployment is high in many member states. The rise of terrorism and the huge influx of refugees have to be addressed. In both France and Germany, some may have the feeling that, on each of these issues, European solidarity has been notably absent.
Others go so far as to fundamentally call into question the European project, with nationalist tendencies appearing to rise up in many member states. However, for both of us as committed Europeans, Europe’s future cannot be built on renationalisation but on strengthening its foundations. Europeans share strong values, a fair social model, and a solid currency. These are assets we should build on.