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How to develop joint projects between European countries if everyone has different rules on their sales? This is the question that currently arises between Paris, Berlin and London around arms exports. Germany on a more restrictive line blocks sales of its partners. A debate has begun on this subject in Berlin, but a change of political culture will be difficult.
From our correspondent in Berlin , Pascal Thibaut
" Lack of loyalty ": British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not mince his words in a letter to his German counterpart Heiko Maas and published in the press. For once, it was not Brexit, but arms exports. London criticizes Berlin for not allowing UK manufacturers to honor their contracts with Saudi Arabia.
Germany has indeed interrupted any arms delivery to Riyadh after the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October. The German spare parts needed by the British for their fighter jets sold in Riyadh are no longer delivered. Paris is also irritated by the German position and more generally by more restrictive rules on arms exports from Berlin.
A problem arises at a time when France and Germany want to develop new joint military projects. Angela Merkel stressed at the Munich Security Conference that Berlin should relax its positions. But the social democratic members of the government do not want to hear about it. Two-thirds of Germans are hostile to any arms export, even though their country has been one of the biggest sellers for years after the United States, Russia or China.