Friends, new season. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he was determined to preserve the Franco-German “friendship and alliance” at a time when relations between the two countries are going through a difficult patch. “My wish is always to preserve European unity and also the friendship and the alliance between Germany and France”, he declared shortly after his arrival in Brussels for a summit of the 27 centered on soaring energy prices.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us, however recognized Emmanuel Macron, who must meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz before the summit. First, everyone at the national level does things. I think it’s always better to consult, to coordinate. »
It is “not good” for Europe that Germany “isolates itself”
The accumulated differences between Paris and Berlin led on Wednesday to the postponement until January of the Franco-German Council of Ministers scheduled for October 26 in Fontainebleau. The answers to be given to the energy crisis, to military cooperation, to joint armament projects have revealed dissonances between the two countries. In addition to these disagreements on “a whole series of subjects”, Berlin justified the postponement by “logistical difficulties” for certain ministers.
“I have always considered that my duty was to do everything so that we find the paths of agreement between Germany and France, which then make it possible to build European agreements”, for his part insisted Emmanuel Macron. “As there were ministers who were not available on the German side, we preferred to postpone it to also prepare the decisions,” said Emmanuel Macron. “I’m on task but only see this as a technical postponement if I may say so,” he said, adding that it was “not good” for Europe that Germany ” isolated “