• 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