Asked if she could envisage the UK playing a bigger role in Europe than it does now, she said: „Britain plays a very important role in Europe.

„Britain has a lot of common ground with Germany on how we see the future of free global trade, we all benefit from it.

„At the end of the day the British have to decide for themselves to what extent they wish to be part of Europe.

„It is a discussion that we have seen unfortunately taking a painful turn on the [recently agreed] fiscal compact but Britain needs to know that we in Germany want a strong Britain in the EU, we always have and we always will.“