Mr. Le Maire, the Franco-German Council of Ministers planned for next week was canceled at short notice.

Are we seeing the end of Franco-German friendship?

Did Putin succeed in dividing Europe?

Michael Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

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Niklas Zaboji

Economic correspondent in Paris

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Certainly not.

Nobody will be able to destroy the Franco-German friendship.

There's a problem with the agenda, and the time we have with the procrastination allows us to prepare better and get better results.

The Franco-German alliance has always been at the heart of the European unification process and will remain so.

There is no alternative to this alliance because we represent approximately 40 percent of Europe's gross domestic product and we are linked by very deep historical ties.

No one should doubt that.

So are we in a period of fruitful confrontation?

Yes, that's an apt word.

We are in a period of reflection.

We are facing radically new challenges: inflation, the energy crisis, the return of war to Europe, which threatens us directly.

What does this mean for the relationship between Paris and Berlin?

Common answers must be found, even if the starting points are not always identical.

In the area of ​​defence, we prefer European sovereignty.

For its part, Germany has just proposed solutions within the framework of NATO.

We have to discuss it.

As far as energy is concerned, we have a different approach: we believe in nuclear energy, Germany wants to do without it.

How can we still build European energy independence on this basis?

That is the central question.

On the other hand, we all agree on inflation.

In France, we have provided 100 billion euros to protect our compatriots.

Germany has just announced 200 billion euros.

To what extent do these differences of opinion weigh on Franco-German relations?

I think one of the mistakes in Franco-German friendship is trying to put the differences aside.

I myself have always been in favor of putting the differences on the table in order to overcome them.

As far as energy is concerned, in France we believe that we need nuclear energy if we are to succeed in climate protection and in decarbonising our economy.

On the other hand, there are real similarities, for example with hydrogen.

Our common strategic goal can be summed up in a single word: independence.

What does independence actually mean?

Everyone can see that Europe's dependence on Russian gas was a strategic and not just an economic mistake.

We must not go from one dependency to the next.

We must be independent, that is, use all possible technological means to make Europe the first electrified and decarbonized continent in the world.

We must have diversified sources of supply.

This is a goal that should unite us.

It requires a lot of discussion, a lot of work, but I'm sure we'll make it.

What difficulties do you see?