Would a possible win for the black-yellow coalition lead to growing German influence in the EU? Werner Langen talks to Europarltv about his predictions for the upcoming German elections.

Interview: German elections a golden opportunity for Merkel?

Hello, and welcome to   The Interview on EuroparlTV.

Since 1994 he's been the MEP for   Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.

Today's topic is   the German general elections.

Initially the campaign   seemed unexciting

due to the wide margin   between the conservative CDU/CSU

Will we see a coalition of CDU and SPD   or one of CDU and Free Democrats?

What effect   could the result have on the EU?

What will change?   These are today's talking points.

And later on   we have today's questions.

Mr Langen, hello and welcome.   - Hello Mr Delfosse.

Will the result be this, as it was   shown on this week's Der Spiegel?

Or that?   Or might it even be a grand coalition?

Firstly, there are no reliable predictions   a few days before elections.

In the last elections most polls   turned out to be very inaccurate.

It all depends on mobilising   the undecided voters in the next 72 hours.

but it's too early to predict the outcome.

Maybe the grand coalition will continue.

But I guess that the outcome   will be a confirmation of

the coalition of Christian Democrats   and Free Democrats.

That's not surprising   coming from you.

What would it mean for the EP   and the EU if this were the case?

so it won't affect   the constitution of the EP.

I hope that in the Council   it will result in a clearer course.

With the former SPD/Green   coalition and today's grand coalition

finding solutions has been difficult,   Consequently, Germany lost influence.

This may possibly improve   with a more clear-cut coalition - possibly.

We could then expect   a German Commissioner

who in my view after 21 years   should be recruited from the CDU.

Regarding the agenda, be it   regulating the financial markets

or climate policy,   there won't be any drastic changes.

If we go back   to the last legislative period

it was hard for German MEPs   under the grand coalition to know exactly

First it was 'A', then it was 'B'.   How did you come up with decisions?

The EP makes its decisions   independently of national governments.

We have to find   a majority for our proposals.

And we've managed that, regardless   of national problems and borders.

Conflicts were bigger   in the previous seven years

and a Green Minister would contradict it.

Back then, Germany   had no clear line in negotiations.

In the last grand coalition,   after some fierce struggles

we always managed   to find common ground.

It wasn't ideal but it was better   than in the preceding seven years.

With 99 seats Germany has the highest   number of MEPs in the EP.

In the last few months   Berlin hasn't given clear answers,

even though you would expect   Germany to know what it wants

How to react in times of crises?   Everyone did their own thing.

was one of the best achievements   of the grand coalition.

The Chancellor and Finance Minister   had a good understanding

which Germany   was the first country to introduce

to prevent the Lehman   collapse from affecting

the entire financial and banking sector.

Of course we need regulation   at European level.

The UK can't continue to   block it as it has done before.

The first demands   were made in the EP four years ago.

The EU Commission with   Irish Commissioner McCreevy

as well as the Council of Ministers   led by the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia

prevented regulation of the financial   sector from being tackled at EU level.

But regarding this issue, the German   government was a leading force.

It didn't support each and every idea   of the French government,

but held Mr Sarkozy back   and got the British on board.

Eurosceptics like to say   that Germany is the cash cow of Europe.

The bureaucrats in Brussels   call Germany a 'net contributor'.

After all, Germany's share   of the EU budget is 20%,

We need to judge it   by the tasks the EU fulfils.

are spent on agricultural   and structural policy.

In these two areas other states   are the biggest net beneficiaries,

In the last 20 years,   after German reunification,

the new federal states have received   billions in structural funds.

I don't have a problem   with being a net contributor.

Germany profits more than anyone   from the single European market.

I've got a problem with the unjustified   British rebate.

This needs to end soon   and this is the main problem.