Duitse deelstaten willen grotere stem in EU-zaken (en)

A quarrel has broken out between German Länder and the German government about who should do what at the European level.

The EU's biggest member state is currently debating how to modernise its federalist system and most of the heads of Germany's 16 Länder are fighting for more power at the EU level.

But the federal government is strongly resisting.

Speaking after a meeting yesterday (6 May), leader of Bavaria - Germany's biggest state - Edmund Stoiber said that particularly now in an enlarged Europe and with the proposed EU Constitution, the power of the Länder should be increased.

However, the German justice minister Brigitte Zypries, speaking to FAZ, said that more powers for the Länder is "out of the question". She added that, preferably, she would like to see their powers reduced.

Proposals in the autumn

The issue has been slowly coming to boiling point since the change to the constitution after the reunification of Germany where Länder were given more powers.

According to article 23 of the German constitution, Länder - so long as they already have the competence domestically - must be allowed to take part in forming the German government's opinion on Europe. In some cases, this right is extended to being allowed to actually negotiate.

This is a source of friction for the government which feels it does not have the ability to negotiate as effectively as more centralised countries - such as France.

While the government is calling for these rights to be reduced, the Länder are asking for even more power to negotiate at the European level.

A special commission chaired by the head of the governing SPD, Franz Müntefering, and the head of the opposition conservative CSU, Edmund Stoiber, will come forward with proposals in autumn.