At the end it is a physics student who brings some momentum to this Franco-German holiday. Now, according to the young man, where the German chancellor is at the end of her career, she could finally muster the courage to initiate a few more reforms in Europe.
Angela Merkel swallows a bit, French President Emmanuel Macron, standing next to her, refuses to smile. The student, however, indulges: "Do your friend, do us, your citizens, a favor."
A few minutes earlier, the German Chancellor and the French President signed the "Treaty on German-French Cooperation and Integration" in the Coronation Hall of the Aachen City Hall. Now they are standing with apprentices, students and other citizens and trying to get into conversation with the people. She thinks, says Merkel, turned to the student, the new contract could be proud. "Today is a day when we have a bit of courage."
16 pages, 28 chapters, the signal that Germans and French want to send with the Treaty of Aachen, is clear: Europe may be in crisis, Britain get off, and Italy's Matteo Salvini his triumphal procession soon in the European Parliament continue - no matter. On this Tuesday morning, Germans and French took a break from the crisis to renew the friendship pledge that they gave themselves to the day exactly 56 years ago with the Élysée Treaty.
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There is no shortage of possibilities for historical exaggeration, but Merkel and Macron prefer to keep it sober in the royal hall. The German does everything so that her counterpart can celebrate the contract as his success. Basically, that's just the idea, according to Merkel, who presented Macron with his speech to the students at the Sorbonne - "16 months later".
Macron, one may submit, would have wished much faster, but he also shows himself satisfied, at least for his circumstances. In the blink of an eye, his talent for speaking, his ability to give his own note to an appointment with only a few words, is striking. "If my heart does not find a word in French, then I search for it in the German language," he says. It remains the only declaration of love to the Germans this morning.
In video: "Important day for German-French relations"
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Because France's president has arrived in German-French reality. That may also be due to the fact that Macron sat in the same room less than nine months ago and had once listened to the German chancellor. At the beginning of May 2018 he was awarded the Charlemagne Prize and, like all of Europe, Macron hoped that Merkel would finally answer his proposals for reform in Aachen. Alone, Merkel praised the laureate, but there were no answers.
In the meantime, Macron seems to accept the limits that Berlin and the political situation in the German capital place on its European visions. He expressly refers to the German parliamentary reservation for Bundeswehr missions in the Bürgerdialog, a circumstance that makes joint military action much more complicated. Merkel, on the other hand, points out that the euro-reforms with the last EU summit have finally come to an end. Even if it did not work out with a European minister of finance or an investment budget according to Macron's ideas. "The reform of Economic and Monetary Union is more difficult in Germany than in France," she says.
A peck here, a peck here, chère Angela, cher Emmanuel - Macron and Merkel seem like a couple that is getting old. Both know what they have in common, but also where the boundaries of the partner lie.
The new treaty outlines these limits quite accurately. Economy, defense, border regions, you can find something about all this. But with Macron's big topic, the euro, rather less, one avoids a few cursory remarks on Economic and Monetary Union. Now there should be more Franco-German day-care centers in border regions, school certificates should be easier to recognize each other, the railway networks should be better linked. That sounds like rather small projects. But that's exactly where the strength of the paper can lie - after all, such improvements quickly reach the citizen.
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The crucial question is whether both sides have the strength to live the content in the coming years. Greater cooperation before European summits and decision-making, for example, as the Treaty envisages, would be desirable. But what is worth, if not even veteran diplomats in Brussels can remember the recent, sweeping, diplomatic push by Germans and Frenchmen?
Macron and Merkel, that is an aggravating factor, are not at the peak of their power. Macron tries to defend his domestic reforms against the protests of the yellow vests and Merkel is in the late stages of her chancellorship.
The kind words in Aachen can not hide a simple truth. Whether the contract is a success, will probably decide only the followers of Merkel and Macron. But the merit of both is to have laid the foundation for it now.