BERLIN, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Germany will play a "balancing" role in the European Union (EU) in relation to smaller member states, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday. In her first speech to the Bundestag, the German parliament, on her new government's policies, Merkel said the EU was in "deep crisis".

    

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) delivers her declaration on behalf of the government to the Bundestag, German lower house of parliament, at the Reichstag in Berlin Nov. 30. (Reuters)

"There is no point in brushing away this crisis. We need to master it," she said.

    Germany will seek to upholster ties with smaller EU member countries, she said, adding that "a special task for Germany is to act as go-between and balancing factor."

    She vowed to use her trip to Poland later this week to boost ties with her country's eastern neighbor.

    Problems that the EU was facing included severe setbacks to the constitution, which were rejected by France and the Netherlands in referenda in the middle of this year, and serious conflicts of interests between member nations over 2007-2013 budget, she said. She pledged to work for a compromise at the EU December summit over the budget proposal put forward by EU's current rotating president, Britain.

    But Merkel also stressed that her country would not neglect its own interests and would not take on additional financial burdens that it could not afford.

    As for the EU expansion, she called for broad public support, by saying "the ability of the European Union to take on new members must not be over extended."

    Merkel, who proposed "privileged partnership" for Turkey instead of full EU membership, said talks on the matter would be conducted in an open manner. Enditem

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