You can still hear it, the relief. Olaf Scholz has just greeted his guest Emmanuel Macron with military honors in front of the Chancellery in glorious May weather. Now he wants to talk right away about the “swing” that Europe can continue with after Macron’s re-election as French President. “In this election, France made a very clear decision in favor of Europe,” praised the Chancellor. “Especially in these difficult times” such a commitment is important. In Berlin, a victory for the nationalist Marine Le Pen, who was not well-disposed towards Germany, was not seriously feared, but one could not be really sure “in these difficult times”.
First of all, Macron appreciates “how great and important the Franco-German friendship” is, talks about European unity, climate change and some other things that we want to tackle together. It is an unwritten law that the first trip abroad by a German chancellor is to Paris and the first trip abroad by a French president to Berlin. 48 hours after taking the oath of office, Scholz landed in the French capital in December. Only a few hours have passed since his second inauguration when Macron arrived in Berlin on Monday afternoon, coming from Strasbourg. There are five months between the two initial visits. Five months in which the world has changed.
In December, Macron and Scholz still relied on the now dead Normandy format, in which Germany and France have been trying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia since 2014. After the turn of the year it was Macron who took the diplomatic initiative, while Scholz was still exercising restraint. The Frenchman made a lot of calls and traveled to Moscow and Kyiv before Scholz. Less visible, Scholz played a leading role in preparing the sanctions.
Death, suffering and destruction in Ukraine force us to act together, says Scholz
Coordination seems to have worked between the two, before and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both are now very keen on the impression that nothing has changed. Scholz speaks at Macron’s side that peace in Europe was “broken by Russia’s appalling war of aggression against Ukraine”. “We want to send out a signal of solidarity from the European Union, which is indispensable,” says Macron. The President and Chancellor are therefore talking, albeit rather vaguely, about Ukraine’s application for membership of the European Union.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would like more. He symbolically invited Scholz to Kyiv for the day of the Moscow Victory Parade. Irrespective of all the speculation, however, the President and Chancellor are making no move to leave for Ukraine after dinner. Instead, they take a trip to the much closer Brandenburg Gate, which on May 9th, Europe Day, is illuminated in the Ukrainian national colors like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Everything is done together, Macron assures, “to achieve a ceasefire, to support the Ukrainians and to sanction Russia.” Death, suffering and destruction in Ukraine force us to act together, it brings Europeans together, says Scholz.
For Macron, this is a welcome cue, because for him it is not only a symbolic Monday because of the visit to Berlin. At noon he had already appeared in Strasbourg, where, as head of the European Council Presidency, he had received proposals for a more democratic EU. They are the result of the European Future Conference, drawn up by European citizens.
Macron says that Ukraine is already a “heart member” of the EU
At the ceremony in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Macron called for changes to the European treaties to make the EU more democratic, independent and efficient. The obligation to unanimity should fall in crucial policy areas, and parliament should be given more rights. In addition, Macron launched the idea of a new “European Political Community” beyond the EU-27. It is intended to give countries like Ukraine, whose accession process will take decades, a home in Europe more quickly. Ukraine is already a “heart member” of the EU, said Macron. Scholz will later call this “a very interesting proposal”, which should not be confused with full approval.
Nevertheless, the common message on Europe Day, 72 years after French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman paved the way for European unification in his Paris speech, should be: Free, democratic, pluralistic Europe has been on the right side of history since the Second World War – and Vladimir Putin, who was celebrating his victory in Moscow that day, on the wrong one. However, the Chancellor was not spared the question that he has been asked almost every day for weeks. A journalist wants to know whether Germany is actually doing enough to take account of the turning point and to help Ukraine.
Scholz answers this in a routine manner, speaking once again about the “very far-reaching decisions” made by the federal government, the “military strengthening”, the 100 billion special fund, the arms deliveries to Ukraine and the fact that many countries are supporting the German example followed. Macron, although not specifically asked about it, could now do the Chancellor a small favor and praise the German contribution as well. The press conference comes to an end, but the French guest misses this opportunity. The friendship doesn’t go that far after all.