No slackening, neither in the stadiums, nor elsewhere.
Faced with the development of the Delta variant of Covid-19, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron called for caution on Friday, during the Euro matches which are currently taking place as on the whole of the European continent.
“We cannot pretend that the Corona epidemic is over,” said Angela Merkel at a press conference, the last before a working dinner in Berlin with the French head of state.
It was one of the last tête-à-tête between the Franco-German couple before the Chancellor's departure from power in the fall, after sixteen years of reign.
“When I see full stadiums in other European countries, I'm a little skeptical,” said Angela Merkel.
A barely masked allusion to the Hungary of nationalist Viktor Orban, the only country organizing the competition which does not impose any gauge in its stadium for this Euro.
Macron promises "great vigilance"
Asked about the possible risks associated with the semi-finals and final which will be played at Wembley in Great Britain where the Delta variant has caused a rise in infections, Emmanuel Macron promised him a "situation of great vigilance".
He was the first foreign leader invited this year to the German capital, due to the health crisis.
After a difficult start, the Merkel-Macron couple found a second wind in the treatment of the health and economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Together, the two countries have launched an initiative for a European recovery plan of 750 billion euros, based on the pooling of loans at EU level and redistribution to the most vulnerable countries, which breaks a real German taboo in terms of financial solidarity.
Happy to come back to Germany.
During my last visit a year ago, we made progress on our initiative for a European recovery plan.
This plan has been implemented and is being deployed in our countries.
It will transform our economies, respond to ecological and technological challenges.
pic.twitter.com/Y9wiGhVdXx
- Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 18, 2021
This is a constant in the relationship between the two countries: "despite the differences, Franco-German couples have always met during the crises", which have been numerous over the past sixteen years, points out Jacob Ross, expert from the
German
think tank
DGAP. .
With Nicolas Sarkozy, it was the euro and debt crisis, with François Hollande, the migration crisis and the jihadist attacks. With Emmanuel Macron, the pandemic has given the Franco-German couple a new opportunity to exist together.
