Angela Merkel warns Brussels Brexit is a wake up call and bloc MUST change

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ANGELA Merkel has urged the European Union to change in order to maintain its influence on the world stage after Brexit.

The German Chancellor said she was worried the UK could pose a serious economic threat to the EU, and the bloc has to lift its game to stay relevant.

Angela Merkel has given a warning to the EU that it must change

Ms Merkel doled out her advice to the EU weeks before the UK is set to leave on January 31.

She told the Financial Times: “(The EU has to become) attractive, innovative, creative, a good place for research and education… competition can then be very productive.”

The UK is set to leave the European Union on January 31, and Mr Johnson willhead straight into trade talks with the bloc.

The PM has promised the transition period won’t be extended beyond December 31.

Mr Johnson was talking tough with the new EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

He refused to budge on trade red linessuch as fishing rights, after she said it would be “impossible” to get a deal done in 11 months.

Germany in particular would be unable to have much power on a global scale without the EU, Ms Merkel said.

“Germany is far too small to exert geopolitical influence on its own, and that’s why we need to make use of all the benefits of the single market,” she said.

The German Chancellor admitted the EU’s relationship with the US had cooled, as Americans increasingly turned away from the bloc for trade.

Ms Merkel’s has a testy relationship with US President Donald Trump, but was adamant there would be distance regardless of who sat in the Oval Office.

“The United States’ focus on Europe is declining – this will be the case under any president.”

US President Donald Trump has mocked the EU and Germany for being weak on defence, and claimed Germany was “totally controlled by Russia” over a natural gas pipeline project with Moscow.

She took a dig at the Mr Trump over his ongoing trade-war with China and isolationist position in the world.

“Do we in Germany and Europe want to dismantle all interconnected global supply chains… because of this economic competition?”

“In my opinion, complete isolation from China cannot be the answer.”

She held up the recent General Data Protection Regulation laws as a victory for the EU.

Boris Johnson with the German Chancellor last year

Ms Merkel has announced she will be standing down as Chancellor, and will leave office in 2021.