German Chancellor Angela Merkel likened solving Europe's debt crisis to a marathon, shunning investor calls for quick action while pushing for stricter budget enforcement and overhauling the region's governance.

Addressing lawmakers in Berlin today before a Dec. 9 summit of European leaders, Merkel rejected joint euro-area bonds or trying to make the European Central Bank the lender of last resort as quick fixes. The ECB's role is different from that of the Federal Reserve or the Bank of England, she said.

"Marathon runners often say that a marathon gets especially tough and strenuous after about 35 kilometers (22 miles)," Merkel told the lower house of parliament in a speech previewing the European Union summit. "But they also say you can last the whole course if you're aware of the magnitude of the task from the start."