Come on. You just have to open a history book and see that the german political consent on europe has been pro integration and for a strengthening of common institutions like the commission, the court and the EP for a long time. Of course until recently - until then years ago or so - the Benelux states and Italy were as ardent federalists.

So now, being pro a United States of Europe or a federal european state is a traditional position on european politics in Germany.

The question is if Merkels proposals can be said to be federalism in the traditional sense or if she is just using the old banner for something quite different.