The Franco-German tandem has gone off the rails, and neither Paris nor Berlin seem able to put the chain back on the bike to get a fresh start.
On Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron received Olaf Scholz at the Élysée to try to relaunch this historic post-World War II partnership, a driving force in European construction, and now weighed down by a series of disputes ranging from energy to defence, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
The French President greeted the German Chancellor on the steps of the Élysée Palace, the two men smiling for the cameras.
But the heart was not there.
The Élysée welcomed a
“very constructive
” meeting, with the installation of working groups.
For its part, Berlin welcomed a "
friendly
" and "
constructive
" dialogue.
However, a sign of the depth of the malaise, the meeting did not give rise to any joint speech by the two leaders.
A hackneyed formula
Paris has not shown more imagination in trying to hide the gaping differences which led to the postponement for several weeks of a Franco-German Council of Ministers, scheduled for Wednesday, repeating a worn-out formula, so punctuated each falling out between France and Germany since the debt crisis in the euro zone: "
When the priorities of one country do not necessarily converge with the priorities of the other, the strength of the Franco-German couple, it is to always be able to get along and pull the whole of Europe upwards
.
»
Obviously, this time, it is more than just a cold snap between Paris and Berlin.
On the strategy to adopt in the face of soaring energy prices, nuclear power, European armament, nothing seems to be going well between France and Germany.
Chancellor Scholz announced an aid plan of 200 billion to individuals and businesses in the face of soaring prices, in particular of gas after the cuts in deliveries imposed by Russia.
This plan, rolled out without consultation with its European partners, has revived the accusations of German selfishness.
Read alsoEconomy, energy, space ... disagreements all along the line between France and Germany
Germany, one of the EU countries most affected due to its dependence on Russian gas, has undertaken
"a change of model whose destabilizing nature should not be underestimated",
analyzed Emmanuel Macron in
The echoes.
Olaf Scholz unfolded his vision for Europe this summer in his Prague speech, which marks a geopolitical shift in Berlin away from Paris.
Relegating the Franco-German relationship to a marginal role, Scholz insisted on the change of era caused by the war in Ukraine.
The chancellor has taken note of Berlin's past blindness to Putin's Russia and is now pushing for an eastward expansion, while Paris is pleading for deeper integration.
The center of gravity of this Europe with thirty, or even thirty-six members, would tilt towards the east of the continent, offering Germany a central role, to the detriment of France.
All of this is cause for concern in the Europe of 27, for which the Franco-German driving force remains the main driving force.
