Passau, Germany (dpa) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s political
allies lashed out on Wednesday at the European Union, setting the
tone for their campaign for May‘s EU elections.

“This urge to regulate every corner of Bavaria and Germany,
suffocates the European idea,” said Horst Seehofer, the head of the
Christian Social Union (CSU), which is the Bavarian-based associate
party of Merkel‘s Christian Democrats.

The EU needs to become more democratic, Seehofer told a gathering to
mark Ash Wednesday, when the nation‘s political leaders indulge in a
war of words in speeches held in Bavarian beer halls.

“It is not the size of the olive jug in our restaurants, nor the
curve of bananas or our tradesmen‘s logbooks that are issues for
Europe,” said Seehofer, who is also Bavarian premier.

He told his audience of about 4,000 people that the EU should focus
on issues that are important for the whole Europe.

Seehofer speech came as Europe‘s political parties gear up for the
May 25 EU elections, which are expected to lead to a wide range of
groups, including euro-sceptic parties, entering the European
Parliament.

This includes Germany‘s Alternative for Germany (Afd), which an
opinion poll released Wednesday showed support for the party rising
to 6 per cent.

The Afd narrowly missed out on gaining seats in the German Parliament
in last September‘s national election after it fell just short of the
5-per-cent share of the vote parties need to win seats in the
Bundestag.

However, last month Germany‘s top court, the Constitutional Court,
ruled that there should be no hurdle for votes to gain seats
representing Germany in the European Parliament.

The CSU also appears to be attempting to capitalize on voters‘
frustrations with the EU ahead of Bavarian regional election set for
later this month.

In his speech, Seehofer called on Brussels to step up the fight
against immigrants moving around the EU to gain access to welfare
benefits in more prosperous states.

Merkel was also due to make an Ash Wednesday speech but cancelled due
the pressures resulting from the Ukraine crisis.