英国拟脱离欧盟 德国打太极

But first today, after the storm, the calm. Yesterday the British Prime Minister David Cameron may have put the cat among the pigeons. Mr Cameron offered his own citizens the prospect of a vote on whether or not they want to stay in the European Union. Well, he ruffled a few feathers in Europe but how would Germans react? Well, today, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos and there was no mention of anyone jumping ship from the EU.

"Politically we have made the experience that you need pressure for pursuing structural reform. So my conclusion out of this is when Europe today as we all see, is in a difficult situation, now we have to embark on the structural reform so that we may enjoy a better life tomorrow."

So talk of difficult situations and structural reforms but no mention at all from the German chancellor of Britain actually renegotiating its EU membership or even if push came to shove, quitting the EU entirely.