German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for "bold" EU steps, including sweeping deregulation, to reverse a quarter century of "decline" faced with economic rivals China and the United States. "After a quarter of a century of gradual decline vis-a-vis our biggest competitors, it is again time to take bold decisions," says Merz in Antwerp. SOUNDBITE Interested in licensing this video ? Get in touch 👉 http://u.afp.com/wvnD N.B.: AFP’s services and content are for professional use only