The problems between Germany and France came at a bad time. Tensions between Berlin-Paris are developing at a critical moment when Europe must address common concerns by working together to overcome the current energy and economic difficulties. It has been seen that the differences between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are growing by the day. Currently, the two countries differ on a variety of critical subjects ranging from energy to defense to international trade. In fact, a French newspaper had the headline “War between Germany and France becomes possible again”.[1] Although the situation is not so dire, both sides appear to be turning their backs on one other.
France’s rejection of the German-led MidCat Project could be viewed as the first significant disagreement between the parties. The project, proposed by Germany in 2003 and nearly abandoned in 2019, had resurfaced as a result of the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine War. However, Paris opposed MidCat once more, citing its high costs, lengthy construction process, and environmental impact. But, in reality, Macron is concerned about France losing its advantageous position in energy. In this regard, on October 20, 2022, Spain, France, and Portugal announced a new natural gas pipeline project that they will jointly build.[2] In short, the MidCat Project has now been completely set aside.
Previously, the Paris administration proposed certain initiatives that it could lead in order to achieve an autonomous Europe. An example of such an initiative, the European Political Community’s (EPC) first summit, was held on October 6, 2022 in Prague, the capital of Czechia.[3] The German Chancellor also attended the meeting. Although this may appear to be a positive indication, bilateral ties did not improve significantly; in fact, the situation further deteriorated.
Looking at the discussions within the European Union (EU), we can see that while France wanted a price cap to be imposed to European natural gas prices, the German government stalled before accepting and indicating that it had a few conditions. Germany has also been chastised for agreeing a 200-billion-euro assistance package aimed at supporting German businesses and families while delaying efforts to collect more funds at the EU level to assist financially distressed European countries.[4]
Furthermore, the two nations’ annual Council of Ministers meeting has been pushed back to the beginning of 2023.[5] Despite attempts to portray it as inconsequential, the cancellation of this summit and the postponing of the discussions, which have been conducted since 1963, illustrates the depth of the issues in the two nations’ relations. Macron and Scholz met in Paris on October 26, 2022, to make up for this cancelled summit.[6] However, the two did not hold the customary press conference after such meetings. Paris has thus demonstrated a cold stance toward Germany.
On October 13, 2022, fourteen North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and Finland agreed to collaborate on the development of a cooperative air and missile defense system.[7] France, on the other hand, has stated that it would not participate in this project. France’s reasons for not participating in the initiative include a desire to promote its own military technology and belief in its own nuclear deterrent, a refusal to acquire US or Israeli systems because it focuses on European armament programs, and concerns about the exclusion of the Franco-Italian system MAMBA. However, looking back at Europe’s history, the military strengthening of Germany has alarmed several countries, particularly France. As a result, it is not unexpected that France does not participate in a military formation headed by Germany.
On October 26, 2022, Germany granted permission to a Chinese company to purchase shares from a terminal at the Port of Hamburg, which is a vital trading center for Europe.[8] This was not welcomed both by politicians in Germany and throughout Europe. In addition, on November 4, 2022, Scholz visited Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.[9] Scholz also refused Macron’s proposal to accompany him on the visit. This move has also led to an increase in tensions. Because criticism has emerged that Scholz aspires to operate independently of Europe. Furthermore, during his tour, Szholz included German businesspeople in his delegation and signaled to the world that he intended to expand commercial collaboration with China. This has also caused concern in Europe.
Both Germany and France are key to ensuring a politically stable Europe. But differences of opinion pose risks for cooperation within the EU. Although Scholz first stated that he wanted to work with Macron to build a strong Europe, this commitment appears to be waning today. In this context, at a recent summit in Brussels, the French president referred to the past, saying that Germany should not isolate itself from Europe.[10] The Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper cautioned the parties that only one person would benefit from the Franco-German confrontation, and that person would be Russian President Vladimir Putin, who wants to “split the EU as much as possible with his war against Ukraine”[11]
In conclusion, the two countries are having a hard time agreeing with each other in the context of EU and Continental Europe. France does not approve the decisions taken by Germany. As a result, the true cause of the harm to the parties’ relations is Berlin’s determination to act freely by refusing to confine its foreign policy to Continental Europe, and Paris refusing to become its sidekick. If the Franco-German disagreements persist, the spirit of unity inside the EU is likely to take a severe blow.
[1]“La guerre entre la France et l’Allemagne redevient possible”, LesEchos, https://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/editos-analyses/la-guerre-entre-la-france-et-lallemagne-redevient-possible-1873570, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[2] “Energy Crisis: Spain and France Announce New Deal to Build Underwater Gas Pipeline”, Euro News, https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/10/20/spain-and-france-announce-new-deal-to-build-underwater-gas-pipeline, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[3] “European Political Community: Europe Hails United Stand over Russia’s War in Ukraine”, Euro News, https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/10/06/european-political-community-european-leaders-gather-to-discuss-new-club-of-nations, (Date of Accession : 09.11.2022).
[4] “French, German Meeting Postponed as Cracks Emerge over Energy, Defense”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-german-meeting-postponed-cracks-emerge-over-energy-defence-2022-10-19/, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[5] Ibid.
[6] “The Awkward Lunch: Macron Snubs Scholz in Paris”, Politico, https://www.politico.eu/article/olaf-scholz-emmanuel-macron-meet-amid-tensions-energy-crisis-defense/, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[7] “15 Countries Boost Air Defense Through ‘European Sky Shield’”, IDN Financials, https://www.idnfinancials.com/news/44688/countries-boost-air-defense-european-sky-shield, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[8] “Germany Agrees to Controversial Sale of Hamburg Port Terminal”, Euro News, https://www.euronews.com/2022/10/26/germany-agrees-to-controversial-sale-of-hamburg-port-terminal, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[9] “Germany’s Leader and top CEOs Have Arrived in Beijing. They Need China More Than Ever”, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/03/business/germany-china-olaf-scholz-visit-trade/index.html, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[10] “Macron: Isolated Germany is not Good for Europe”, Nova News, https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/macron-germany-isolated-is-not-positive-for-europe /, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
[11] “Dark Clouds Loom over Franco-German Ties Amid Deep Rift”, AC, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/analysis/analysis-dark-clouds-loom-over-franco-german-ties-amid-deep-rift/2726081, (Date of Accession: 09.11.2022).
