Asselborn's words of wisdom for Angela

Luxembourg's foreign affairs minister has warned Angela Merkel against revising European treaties for fear it may plunge the European Union into further chaos.

Jean Asselborn raised his concerns about the German Chancellor's actions in an open letter published in the Handelsblatt.

The treaty amendments were designed to strengthen fiscal discipline and curtail any further fall out from the current financial uncertainty. However, Mr Asselborn warned that any revisions could end by killing off the European Union.

He said: “You must remember that in proposing treaty changes, there is a risk that the European Union could die. It is Utopian to believe that only the proposed article amendments would be revised, Utopian to want to change these treaties, which Mrs Merkel would do well to state clearly, if she would do it to pursue any personal national gains.”

He continued: “Would it be a European objective, Madam Chancellor, to launch a debate on the significant changes of these treaties in the wide open, during one of the most difficult periods of instability for the euro zone?”

In his letter Mr Asselborn also points out that in such a scenario, the British would likely make their own proposals and that referendums with uncertain outcomes would be held in certain countries.