The Franco-German Council of Ministers will take place on January 22 in Paris, the Elysée said on Thursday, three months after a postponement against a backdrop of tensions between Paris and Berlin, in particular over the war in Ukraine and the crisis of energy.
The French presidency underlined the “very symbolic date” of January 22, which coincides with the sixtieth anniversary of the Élysée Treaty.
"A solemn ceremony will be held on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers, in the presence of Chancellor Scholz and representatives of the National Assembly and the Bundestag", indicated the Elysée.
The accumulated differences between Paris and Berlin had led to the postponement of the meeting at the end of October, initially scheduled for October 26 in Fontainebleau.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz had justified the postponement by "logistical difficulties" for some German ministers but according to several sources, the real reason for the postponement was friction between the two allies.
Paris accused Berlin, which had voted for a 200 billion plan to help households deal with inflation, of holding double talk, advocating European budgetary rigor.
The German Greens, including Vice-Chancellor and Energy Minister Robert Habeck, had for their part criticized the failures of the French nuclear program, which poses a threat to the energy supply of the two countries.
On the thorny subject of European armament, Paris had stayed back from an anti-missile shield project developed in particular by Israel and coveted by the Germans.
Several successful collaborations
But in the months that followed, EU member states managed to agree on Monday, after a month of tough negotiations, on a temporary mechanism to cap wholesale gas prices which crystallized tensions between Paris and Berlin.
On December 1, the French Dassault Aviation also confirmed the crossing of a step towards the future European combat aircraft after strong Franco-German political “pressure” to save this project as ambitious as expensive.
"These last few weeks have given rise to intense joint work by France and Germany, particularly on the subjects of the price and supply of energy in Europe, and the strengthening of European industrial policy", underlined the French presidency.
“This close coordination will make it possible to approach the Franco-German Council of Ministers with high ambition and concrete perspectives on how to move forward together in the face of the challenges of the moment,” she added.
The Council "will thus contribute to strengthening the bilateral partnership on the issues of security and defence, economics, industry and energy", insists the Elysée.
The two countries will also discuss their “coordination at European level and on the international scene, in particular in the unwavering support given to Ukraine”.
