The country's economy minister called on Jean-Claude Juncker's sclerotic Commission to "downsize" and questioned the size of the EU budget - but also reiterated calls for a Euro army.
The German economy minister is Angela Merkel's second-in-command
Sigmar Gabriel, who is Angela Merkel's second-in-command, also hinted that the UK could rejoin the Brussels club in the future because the majority of young people voted Remain.
His remarks come amid growing turmoil in Europe over how to deal with the Brexit result, with calls for referenda in other countries including the Netherlands and Italy intensifying by the day.
Most European politicians, who were rocked by the unexpected Leave vote, have gone to pains to stress that the EU requires radical reform if it is to survive the next decade.
And Mr. Gabriel, the German vice-chancellor, criticized Brussels for "destroying trust in democracy" and called for the number of unaccountable, unelected Commissioners to be slashed.
In a thunderous interview he branded Mr. Junker’s department "petty" and urged officials to keep their noses out of the running of individual countries.
He raged: "A Europe in which 27 Commissioners want to prove themselves doesn't make sense. It would be good to downsize in this respect."
And he had a blistering attack for Brussels bureaucrats who have shut national parliaments out of negotiations for a free trade deal with Canada, blasting: "You can't be more foolish than that - that destroys trust in European democracy."
In a wide-ranging piece for the newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung the German heavyweight also called for Brussels to look again at its hugely bloated budget, questioning the amount of money spent propping up farmers.
He said taxpayers' cash could be better spent on research, innovation and education and also called for EU leaders to start building up a joint European army.
But Mr Gabriel also insisted that Brexit does not endanger the future of the Euro project, even raising the possibility of Britain re-joining the EU in a few decades.
Sigmar Gabriel, who is Angela Merkel's second-in-command, also hinted that the UK could rejoin the Brussels club in the future because the majority of young people voted Remain.
His remarks come amid growing turmoil in Europe over how to deal with the Brexit result, with calls for referenda in other countries including the Netherlands and Italy intensifying by the day.
Most European politicians, who were rocked by the unexpected Leave vote, have gone to pains to stress that the EU requires radical reform if it is to survive the next decade.
And Mr. Gabriel, the German vice-chancellor, criticized Brussels for "destroying trust in democracy" and called for the number of unaccountable, unelected Commissioners to be slashed.
In a thunderous interview he branded Mr. Junker’s department "petty" and urged officials to keep their noses out of the running of individual countries.
He raged: "A Europe in which 27 Commissioners want to prove themselves doesn't make sense. It would be good to downsize in this respect."
And he had a blistering attack for Brussels bureaucrats who have shut national parliaments out of negotiations for a free trade deal with Canada, blasting: "You can't be more foolish than that - that destroys trust in European democracy."
In a wide-ranging piece for the newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung the German heavyweight also called for Brussels to look again at its hugely bloated budget, questioning the amount of money spent propping up farmers.
He said taxpayers' cash could be better spent on research, innovation and education and also called for EU leaders to start building up a joint European army.
But Mr Gabriel also insisted that Brexit does not endanger the future of the Euro project, even raising the possibility of Britain re-joining the EU in a few decades.
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