German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned calls to weaken the European Union as destructive and irresponsible, Reuters and BTA reported.
Some populists want Germany to leave the EU, others to weaken it, and still others see Russia and China as role models, Scholz said in a video address on the occasion of Europe Day. "What self-destructive madness!", he exclaimed in his message a month before the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Public opinion polls give record high results for nationalist and Eurosceptic parties. Voters are expected to punish traditional parties for failing to curb high inflation, curb immigration and provide affordable housing and health care, Reuters notes.
Earlier this year, the co-chair of the German far-right party "Alternative for Germany" Alice Weidel called for a referendum in the country on EU membership and on limiting the powers of the European Commission.
Today, Scholz said European unity was paramount amid Russia's war on Ukraine and uncertainty ahead of the US presidential election in November. "How irresponsible do you have to be to question our united Europe at a time like this?" he asked succinctly.