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Angela Merkel, has been more outspoken and supportive of the EU than her predecessors. Her view is that economic and political unity are necessary to compete in the increasingly competitive global market place.

The constitution would also provide security stability and enhance the political power of the EU. However, the attempts to find a compromise between the constitutional rights of individual states and the collective European Union failed. While 18 states have adopted a model of the constitution a political impasse has prevented a universal adoption. Instead Merkel now hopes that members can agree on a "road map" to a unifying constitution; which can be agreed upon in the final summit before Germany's term is complete.

In Merkel's 2005 Bid for election she promised to cut the red tape and bureaucracy within the EU's structure. Germany is pushing for institutional reform due to the slow nature of the EU's approval process which makes it hard to implement the progressive policies which Germany supports. The EU is seen by many to be an institutionalized bureaucracy that exists for its own benefit and not that of the people. Over regulation also places strain on businesses and a simplified system would make the union more competitive.

Germany, along with other nations, is pushing for institutional reform of the union in order to streamline decision making and consolidate the process. Germany argues that these changes, aided by technological advances, will make the EU more efficient and transparent. It is in this way that Germany wants to strengthen the union so that it can play a more active role in global issues such as climate change, the environment, security, terrorism and trade liberalization. There have even been proposals for a single European Union President to take over the role from the rotating presidency. However, some smaller nations have concerns about a central European government which could threaten their sovereignty.

As the largest nation with the largest economy in the EU, Germany has the most to gain, and the most to lose, from participating in the union. It is therefore unsurprising that Germany should have such a strong vision for reform and progression within the union. Germany's vision for the European Union is that of a stronger and more powerful unity which is able to rise to future challenges. It sees greater centralization, flexibility and integration as the most important aspects strengthening the power of the union. While others see such an approach as a threat to sovereignty, Germany has little to worry about because its power and influence ensure that its voice will be heard. With this power the union can form a single foreign policy and, if it chooses, utilize its military force.

Through such reforms Germany wants to create an EU which is an important political, not simply economic, player in international affairs. Germany has its own interests in pushing for such reform; alone it cannot challenge Russia and deal with energy crises, it can't single handedly push for farmer's subsidy reduction in the US and in requires investment from and into other European nations. The union would be able to better combat serious issues such as climate change because it would be a closer rival to powers such as Russia, China and the U.S. Germany's current role in the EU is as a reformer with a clear vision: " Only together can Europe succeed."

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