LONDON: Angela Merkel will take tea with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and address parliament today as David Cameron tries to win the German chancellor’s backing for EU reform.
Cameron is rolling out what the British press called the “reddest of red carpets” for Merkel, in contrast to a low-key welcome for French President Francois Hollande last month.
In the leader of Europe’s top economy, Cameron sees a potential ally for his plans to change the EU’s treaties before holding a referendum on Britain’s membership in 2017. Merkel’s speech to members of both chambers of parliament is the first by a German leader since president Richard von Weizsaecker did so in 1986.
The German chancellor will also hold talks and a press conference with Cameron, before going to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen.
AFP
