The Germans agreeing with us is a significant step forward. There was a joint article yesterday in the FT by the Chancellor and the German Chancellor, as reported below. The prime minister has worked very hard to build up alliances in the EU - with a particularly close relationship with the Dutch and the Scandanavian countries producing a "Euro Sensible" approach to change in the EU.
The Germans are now signalling that any moves towards deeper economic and political integration within the eurozone are a trigger for the UK to secure a "better deal" in Europe and redraft the terms of its membership. The key point is that existing EU treaties will need to be rewritten - although France has signalled that it does not believe this is a priority at the moment.
Full story here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26780836
