Just a few years ago, selfies were an expression of maximum egocentricity: look at how I present myself online, no matter the background!
Now, at least in the political sphere, selfies are becoming more and more common as a symbol of fraternization.
It is not only important who is in the foreground, but who is next to you.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared with refugees, the FDP and the Greens sealed their common ground with a selfie before the traffic light coalition talks.
And now Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and French President Emmanuel Macron have also demonstrated their friendship – which is actually quite cold – via selfie.
Both met on Sunday together with their ministers on the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty in Paris.
The contract is intended to seal the special friendship between France and Germany, for him the countries are like "two souls in one breast," said Macron at the ceremony at Paris' Sorbonne University.
As late as 1984, such meetings were staged less cuddly, but no less connected: Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand commemorated hand in hand the soldiers of both countries who died in the world wars at the French national cemetery in Douamont.
Firm will instead of "sweet cuddles and empty symbolism"
The relationship has cracked these days.
Scholz addressed the differences of opinion between the two countries: "The Franco-German engine is a compromise machine - well oiled, but sometimes loud and marked by hard work," said Scholz.
»He doesn't get his drive from sweet cuddles and empty symbolism.
But because of our firm will to always convert controversies and differences of interest into aligned action.«
60 years ago, the Élysée Treaty was signed in Paris to reconcile the two former hereditary enemies and opponents of the war.
To this day, it is considered the basis for Franco-German cooperation.
However, there is a crunch between Berlin and Paris: last autumn, France was displeased with German resistance to a European gas price cap and the federal government's 200 billion euro program to cushion high energy costs.
At the time, Macron accused Germany of isolating itself in Europe.
Most recently, the vote on arms deliveries to Ukraine did not go well.
In early January, Macron pushed ahead with the decision on reconnaissance and armored personnel carriers and announced it a day before Scholz and US President Joe Biden.
Unclear on the tank question
The ceremony was linked to a joint cabinet meeting, which, however, brought only a few concrete results.
France and Germany pledged "unwavering support" to Ukraine without going into detail about specific weapon systems such as battle tanks.
Both countries remained unclear on the tank issue: Scholz still did not indicate when he would make his decision about the delivery of German battle tanks to Ukraine and what he would make it dependent on.
Macron did not rule out the delivery of Leclerc main battle tanks, but did not want to commit either.
mrc/dpa