Europe, Ukraine: Macron and Scholz show their willingness to work together – archyde

The new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday posted their “convergences” of views on Europe and their willingness to “work together” in the face of major international challenges.

Following a long post-war tradition, the German Social Democrat, who succeeded Angela Merkel on Wednesday, went to Paris as soon as the first domestic policy issues were taken over in Berlin.

The German Chancellor and the French President, who already knew each other, examined a loaded agenda with the reaffirmed desire to put the Franco-German couple at the “service” of Europe.

“These first exchanges very clearly reflect a solid convergence of views”, welcomed Emmanuel Macron during a joint press conference.

“I am sure that Franco-German relations will continue to flourish,” added Olaf Scholz without effusion, stressing the prospects for cooperation with the forthcoming French EU and German presidencies of the G7 in 2022.

Europe was clearly the number one subject on the menu, 21 days before the French presidency of the EU, whose main priorities Emmanuel Macron had presented the day before.

“On social issues, the climate and digital transition, the common response to migratory challenges, the subjects of investment or institutional openness, we have truly demonstrated a willingness to work together”, underlined the French president, promising to work for a “more powerful Europe”.

– “Solid” finances –

Sign of the central place of Europe for the new team in power in Berlin, the chancellor went in the wake to Brussels to meet the leaders of the institutions of the EU and NATO before the European summit of December 16 and 17. He will also visit Poland on Sunday, in open conflict with the EU over the rule of law and the primacy of European law.

“We need a strong Europe, which achieves the maximum of its potential. We must find a way to strengthen European sovereignty (…) Germany, a great country at the heart of Europe, bears a responsibility and cannot remain on the sidelines, “insisted Mr. Scholz, after a meeting with the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The roadmap for the next four years, signed by Olaf Scholz and his green and liberal coalition allies, testifies to new ambitions on the German side in terms of European policy, after the lukewarm Merkel years on the subject.

It even goes further than that of Emmanuel Macron by evoking a development towards a “European federal state”, a taboo subject in many EU countries, including France. But Paris also wants to see in it the opportunity of a new impetus for Europe.

The discussions promise to be complicated, however, on nuclear, which Paris wants to include in a European list of “green” energies giving access to specific funding, to the chagrin of the German Greens and their unfortunate candidate for the chancellery, now head of the diplomacy.

On this point, Chancellor Scholz kicked in touch, noting only that his country had bet on the “development of renewable energies”.

Regarding the financing of the European recovery, another possible subject of dispute with Paris, he stressed that growth and “soundness of finances” were not “contradictory”.

Mr. Macron wants to “rethink” the rules governing public deficits and the indebtedness of each member state of the euro zone in order to finance the creation of new industrial champions in Europe. This subject is likely to bristle the German Minister of Finance, the liberal Christian Lindner, attached to financial orthodoxy just like the previous governments in Berlin.

– Mediation on Ukraine –

The two leaders have also shown their willingness to continue Franco-German mediation in the Ukrainian crisis, to which Russian President Vladimir Putin now seems to prefer a direct dialogue with his American counterpart Joe Biden.

This mediation constitutes a “positive basis”, insisted Olaf Scholz, while Moscow has massed tens of thousands of men on its border with Ukraine. “Our common will is to continue this dialogue” with Moscow and Kiev, added Emmanuel Macron.

The French and German leaders will examine the “initiatives to be taken to ease tensions and open the prospect of a lasting solution to the conflict in the Donbass”, the French presidency said shortly after in a statement.

Olaf Scholzav had threatened Wednesday of possible “consequences” for the controversial Nord Stream II gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany – a project supported against all odds by Angela Merkel – in the event of an invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops.

bur-vl-jug / fmi / mr