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Macron and Scholz in Paris
Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
There are issues that Germany and France have long ignored in their bilateral relations.
However, the Ukraine war has brought defense and energy policy to the fore.
And the US subsidy package brings Berlin and Paris closer to industrial policy.
However, there are still many points of conflict.
Before the bilateral government summit, here is the overview:
European missile defense shield
In his keynote speech in Prague, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) advocated the establishment of a European air defense system.
A gap in the European defense system had become apparent since the Ukraine war.
In mid-October, 15 countries signed a corresponding declaration of intent.
France had been invited but declined to participate.
Head of state Emmanuel Macron emphasizes that he considers his country's nuclear deterrence to be sufficient.
France is also developing its own missile defense system together with Italy.
France is also bothered by the fact that Germany also wants to use Israeli and US technology.
"We would prefer that Europe rely on its strategic autonomy," says the Élysée Palace.
Berlin counters that the systems that are currently available have to be used and that it would take too long to develop your own solution.
energy policy
When there was a threat of electricity shortages at the beginning of winter, France and Germany accused each other of having taken the wrong path in terms of energy policy: there were problems with nuclear power plants on one side of the Rhine and with the gas supply on the other.
Both countries within the EU have now agreed on joint gas purchases and also supply each other with gas and electricity.
The partners also agree that the electricity market should be reformed, since the electricity price is currently based on the gas price.
How exactly that should look like is still being debated.
Germany is keen to secure investments in renewable energies.
Conflict lines are also emerging when it comes to hydrogen.
A Franco-German joint venture wants to participate in the construction of a large hydrogen production plant in Normandy.
France wants to use nuclear power for the energy-intensive process.
However, this would no longer be "green" hydrogen for Germany.
Response to US subsidies
Germany and France agree that the US subsidy package IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) can harm the European economy.
There is concern that European companies will be discriminated against or even migrate.
Germany is primarily relying on negotiations with the USA to enforce exception rules.
In addition, European subsidies are to be approved more quickly and existing funds are to be better utilized.
France is also thinking of a new fund from which poorer EU countries could also benefit.
This could also be financed through debt, says Macron, referring to the Corona reconstruction fund of 750 billion euros.
This idea is currently falling on deaf ears in Germany.
language lessons
In both countries, interest in the neighboring country's language is declining, despite numerous efforts by Franco-German institutions.
In France, the numbers have fallen particularly drastically.
In fact, there is a downward spiral: the fewer children learn German, the fewer study German and the fewer teachers there are.
Since teachers in France only teach one subject at a time, German teachers are often deployed in several schools.
This leaves them less time to organize exchanges.
In the current school year, 70 percent of German teacher positions have not been filled.
Both countries have adopted a language strategy to better promote learning the neighboring language.
However, France has only recently committed itself to promoting Spanish learning in a treaty of friendship with Spain.
Since most French schoolchildren learn only one other living foreign language after English, this is likely to be at the expense of German lessons.
dop/AFP
