German Chancellor Friedrich Merz unleashed a blistering broadside against the European Union at the World Economic Forum, calling out what he described as a crippling parliamentary bottleneck and a European Commission monopoly. Declaring that the EU “was never easy,” Merz warned that excessive red tape is choking Europe’s competitiveness and scaring off investment. He urged leaders to cut bureaucracy, clear institutional roadblocks, and unlock fresh capital, framing reform as an urgent battle for Europe’s economic survival.
