French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met in Paris on the occasion of a historic event - the 60th anniversary of the creation of a strategic alliance between the two leading powers of post-war Europe.

Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer, who stood at its origins and cast in bronze, signed the Élysée Treaty on January 22, 1963 in Paris, committing themselves to put an end to the long-standing rivalry between the two closest neighbors and to bear common responsibility for the fate of old Europe.

Meanwhile, six decades after the signing of the Élysée Treaty, in January 2023, the once indisputable leading role of France and Germany is increasingly looking like an anachronism or a phantom.

Does she exist at all?

And is it possible in principle, given that after the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine, Europe, with rare exceptions, submitted to Washington in its decisions, having lost its political subjectivity?

These questions were to be answered by the summit of Macron and Scholz, the political heirs of de Gaulle and Adenauer.

Of course, they are very conditional heirs.

They are far from their predecessors from the history books - the pipe is lower, the smoke is thinner.

Nevertheless, both Macron and Scholz sometimes allow themselves to swing for leadership and rebel on their knees.

Thus, President Macron, in relations with America, dared to oppose the protectionist Inflation Reduction Act adopted in the United States last summer.

To protect the interests of European companies, he proposed to adopt the "Made in Europe" strategy in the EU, as opposed to the American law.

What are we talking about?

The new US law guarantees large subsidies for manufacturers of electric vehicles, batteries and energy equipment, but on the condition that they are manufactured in the US.

According to Macron, this law could lead to a new trade war between America and Europe.

On security issues, even before his meeting with Chancellor Scholz, Macron had criticized Berlin for acquiring American rather than French weapons, pointing out that Europeans should buy more from Europeans and thereby strengthen Europe's "strategic autonomy."

In general, from time to time, Macron made it clear that he was not a decorative American poodle, but at least an alpha poodle, if not the future alpha male - the leader of the European pack.

On the eve of the Franco-German summit, Olaf Scholz unexpectedly appeared in the role of a not quite American poodle, suddenly balking at the issue of transferring Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

However, alpha poodles are unlikely to become alpha males.

At the final press conference, Macron and Scholz promised to give a massive and fast response to the US Inflation Reduction Act.

“France and Germany should become the pioneers of the revival of Europe,” Emmanuel Macron said before that in his speech at the Sorbonne.

“We must together support the European Union, capable of becoming an independent geopolitical power in matters of defense, space and diplomacy,” the French leader added.

Sounds intriguing.

However, how this could be achieved through the efforts of France and Germany remained a mystery.

Their alliance seems to exist, but it looks like a kind of fabulous push and pull, whose heads are still looking in different directions.

And in relation to the European leadership that does not yet exist, this is the case when one head is good, and two is worse.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.