The Scotsman

Europeans urged to ‘stick together’

- By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR

German chancellor Angela Merkel has urged European Union nations to stick together in the face of emerging policy divisions with the US, Britain’s decision to leave the bloc and other challenges.

Speaking at a campaign event held in a Bavarian beer tent, Mrs Merkel suggested that the G7 summit in Italy that ended on Saturday had served as something of a wakeup call. G7 leaders were unable to reach unanimous agreement on climate change after US resident Donald Trump said he needed more time to decide whether to back a key accord.

“The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experience­d in the past few days,” Mrs Merkel told the crowd of some 2,500. “And so all I can say is that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands,” she said.

Mrs Merkel emphasised the need for continued friendly relations with the US and Britain and also stressed the importance of being good neighbours.

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