- Euro debt crisis isn’t over yet
- Important that some countries press ahead with reforms
- Government united in its view that flexibility in EU stability and growth pact should be used
- Sees German GDP at 1.8% for 2014 and may rise to 2.0% in 2015
- 2014 structural balanced budget is historic
- Germany is Europe’s growth engine and stability anchor
- Ukraine’s Poroshenko attending EU summit Friday, will brief EU leaders on fighting
- Important that Putin condemned helicopter downing
- Progress slow on ending Ukraine conflict, diplomatic solutions preferred
- Russian sanctions over Ukraine may return to agenda
Angela Merkel was addressing the German lower parliament
The estimate on growth is slightly lower than Buba’s forecast of 1.9% for 2014