Having a European seat in the UN Security Council, this is the proposal made on Wednesday by the German Finance Minister. For that, France would have to give up its seat to the European Union.

Here is a European chestnut tree coming back. The German Vice Chancellor said on Wednesday that France's permanent seat on the UN Security Council should be transformed into a European seat, so that the EU "speaks with one voice" .

"If we take the European Union seriously, the EU should also speak with one voice in the UN Security Council [...] In the medium term, the seat of France could be transformed into the seat of the European Union. 'EU' , said Olaf Scholz, also Finance Minister, in a speech on the future of Europe held in Berlin.

Olaf Scholz proposes that the permanent seat of France on the UN Security Council becomes a seat for Europe. https://t.co/MiEjlkAHrC

- Hélène Kohl (@helkohl) November 28, 2018

In return, the separate post of head of the European Union delegation to the United Nations could return permanently to a French, said Mr Scholz.

No next change

The Vice-Chancellor admitted, however, that such a project would not be easy to implement. "I am well aware that there is still some conviction work to be done in Paris," he said.

"France and Germany are now acting together in this forum" but such a European headquarters would go even further, argued the Minister of Finance.

The debate in Germany on a European seat on the UN Security Council is quite old, but it is relaunched dramatically by the Minister of Finance.

France, permanent member since 1945

This proposal also appears as a way for German officials to respond to the recurring criticisms of their shyness and lack of audacity in the proposals to revive the European project.

Since its creation in 1945, after the Second World War, France is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with Britain, China, Russia and the United States. The latter have a right of veto.

In addition to these five permanent seats, ten other non-permanent members, each chosen for a period of two years, are members of the Security Council. Germany was designated to occupy one of these in January.

Beyond this, repeated calls have been made for reform of the UN Security Council, with the major emerging countries in particular demanding a seat in this forum.