German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil attends a session of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, on the day of a vote on a contentious pensions package, in Berlin, Germany, December 5, 2025. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen
BERLIN, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Germany will discuss pushing ahead with plans for a "two-speed" European Union to facilitate agile decision-making at a time of geopolitical upheaval in a call with ministers from five other leading European economies on Wednesday.
France, Poland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands have been invited to take part in the video conference, which follows ridicule from officials in Donald Trump's administration over the time it takes for the 27-country bloc to make a decision.
The idea of forging ad-hoc coalitions allowing some EU countries to pursue projects without all of them having to agree has long tempted some of its members, and has already been applied to key projects including the euro currency.
It is gaining new momentum as Europe confronts widening insecurity, sluggish growth and deep political divergences.
"Now is the time for a Europe of two speeds," German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Tuesday in Berlin ahead of the video conference of finance ministers.
SURVIVAL AT STAKE
Klingbeil wants the countries invited to the call, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. (1400 GMT), to set a concrete agenda to strengthen the sovereignty, resilience and competitiveness of Europe, a letter seen by Reuters showed.
"To survive in an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical situation, Europe must become stronger and more resilient," Klingbeil wrote in the letter to his counterparts dated Monday, adding that continuing as before could not be an option.
The invitation said it is meant as a "kick-off," and a follow-up meeting in person in the margins of the next Eurogroup should follow.
"Due to the geopolitical situation, the EU simply cannot afford to wait for all 27 members anymore," said Nicolai von Ondarza, European expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
He pointed to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's toughening stance and willingness to press ahead in Europe without unanimity, be it on the Mercosur trade deal or Ukraine.
FLEXIBLE APPROACH
The move by Germany's finance minister to include only six countries for Wednesday's call could alienate other EU members, but German officials said the approach was flexible.
The advance-group approach would work in different formats, depending on who wants to join, and will not be restricted to the six countries, they said.
France has long pushed for willing EU countries to go forward without the others and is expected to join the call, as is Italy's Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti.
"An effort is being made to find a framework for discussions to seek solutions to more complex situations in a restricted format," an Italian source said.
STARTING WITH THE ECONOMY
Germany's letter includes a four-point plan to push forward an EU capital markets union, strengthen the euro and better coordinate investment in defense and secure raw materials.
Klingbeil said the coalition also needs to move faster on a Savings and Investment Union to create better financing conditions for European businesses.
On the euro, he called for cuts to red tape and enhanced sovereignty in the payment sphere to highlight the currency's role as a safe haven based on predictability and rule of law.
He urged better cooperation on defence, which he said should be firmly embedded as a priority in the next EU multiannual budget, "turning defence into an engine for growth".
Supply chain resilience for critical minerals must also be strengthened, with greater strategic engagement with international partners, he said.
(Additional reporting by Giuseppe Fonte in Rome, Leigh Thomas in Paris, Christian Kraemer and Maria Martinez in Berlin; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
