After a week of bilateral meetings intended to mitigate tensions, the French Prime Minister goes for the first time to Berlin on Friday November 25.
by Thomas Wieder (Berlin, correspondent )
After having seriously coughing, the Franco-German engine restarts. In the space of a week, no less than four German ministers (transport, foreign affairs, economics and finance) succeeded themselves in Paris, before the French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, went in turn to Berlin, Friday, November 25, where she will be received by the Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, then by the Vice-Chancellor and Minister of the Economy, Robert Habeck. A visit preceded by that of the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, present, Thursday, in Berlin for the opening of 22 e week of the French film, alongside her German counterpart, Claudia Roth.
One month after the cancellation of the Council of Ministers Franco-German, scheduled for October 26, in Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne), and the severe words pronounced by Emmanuel Macron in Brussels, October 20-“He n ‘is good neither for Europe nor for Germany that [the latter] isolates himself ” -, the will to reconnect the dialogue is obvious. “We undoubtedly went too far in the display of dissensions, observes a French minister. It was therefore urgent to work on our convergences, especially after the G20 summit [of November 15 and 16, in Bali, in Indonesia] which Rés reminded us how important it is to be united at European level and therefore first between French and Germans. “
On both sides, the marks of an intelligence are multiple. In Paris, Monday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has not only found her counterpart, Catherine Colonna, for an exchange with young people at the Montaigne high school, but she also spoke with Emmanuel Macron Elysium. The same day, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, dinner alone with Robert Habeck, before accompanying him, the next day, to an appointment with the French president. He also owed a dinner on Thursday, with Christian Lindner, the German Minister of Finance, also passing through the French capital. 2> “close links”
On the German side, the concern to dispel the misunderstandings is manifest. At the end of September, the Elysée had very little appreciated not to have been informed before the 200 billion euros aid plan, announced by Olaf Scholz, to cope with the outbreak of energy prices. To settle the dispute, the German ambassador to France, Hans-Dieter Lucas, took the pen to ensure, in the columns of Ouest-France, on November 19, that this plan is not a “unfair attempt to ‘Advantage the German industry “, unlike the reading which has been made of it in several European capitals, including Paris.
You have 62.38% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.