Germany and France want to move closer together again after considerable tensions in recent months. To this end, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his cabinet set off for Paris on Sunday morning, where the consultations with the French government that were postponed in October will be rescheduled on a historic date. The Élysée Treaty was signed 60 years ago to reconcile the two former wartime enemies. It is still regarded as the basis for Franco-German friendship today.

To mark the anniversary, the two parliaments will hold a ceremony at the renowned Sorbonne University, which will be attended by the governments. At the subsequent joint cabinet meeting, the topics of economy and energy, security and defense as well as Europe will be on the agenda. The result should be a joint declaration outlining a vision for the future of Europe.

In a joint article for the 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung' and the 'Journal du Dimanche', Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that they wanted to make the EU an "even stronger leading power of hope". "60 years after the signing of the Elysée Treaty, Germany and France are in agreement when they look at the fundamental questions about the future of Europe."

Battle tanks are likely to be a topic

Among other things, the discussions will focus on further support for Ukraine in its defensive battle against Russian aggressors. Scholz is being urged by Ukraine and several allies to clear the way for the delivery of Leopard 2 battle tanks. Because these tanks are produced in Germany, the German government has a right of veto over the transfer of these tanks from other countries. It therefore has a key role to play, but Scholz has not yet made a decision. It is also unclear whether France wants to send its Leclerc main battle tank to Ukraine.

Coordination between the two governments on arms deliveries to Ukraine has not been running smoothly of late. At the beginning of January, Macron pushed ahead with the decision on armored reconnaissance vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles and announced it one day before Scholz and US President Joe Biden.

Differences on dealing with the consequences of the war

However, Franco-German disagreements already existed before that when it came to dealing with the consequences of the war in Ukraine: last autumn, France disliked Germany's resistance to a European gas price cap and the German government's 200 billion euro program to cushion the impact of high energy costs. At the time, Macron accused Germany of isolating itself in Europe.

However, the head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, sees responsibility for the tensions in Franco-German relations on both sides. "Certainly, the German side has not always been considerate of France. But France doesn't always act in a European way either," he told the German Press Agency.

The former foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is now hoping for a change for the better. "The important thing is that there is the political will to cooperate. And the anniversary of the Elysée Treaty is an excellent opportunity to clearly emphasize this to the outside world: Germany and France are aware of their historical responsibility to work closely together." In the face of global competition, Europe must function right now if it is not to be left behind. "If Germany and France do not agree, Europe will stagnate."

Consultations on US inflation law

The meeting of the Franco-German Council of Ministers was surprisingly canceled in October. The German side had justified this with an ongoing need for coordination. At the time, the Élysée Palace said that the important topics of defense and energy still needed to be discussed further. The economic part of the consultations will now focus, among other things, on cooperation in the field of energy, where both countries help each other out with supplies, and on the transition to a more climate-friendly economic system.

The handling of the US anti-inflation law, which provides for billions in investments in climate protection, is also likely to be a major topic. However, subsidies and tax credits are linked to companies using US products or producing in the US themselves, which is why there are fears of disadvantages for domestic companies in Europe. "We will strongly advocate an ambitious strategy to promote the competitiveness of European industry and a European environment that encourages competition and innovation," wrote Scholz and Macron in their joint newspaper article.