EU summit: between France and Germany, still water in the gas

Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, this Thursday, October 20, 2022 in Brussels.

AP - Olivier Hostlet

Text by: RFI Follow

4 mins

Summit under tension in Brussels, faced with the urgency of the energy crisis and the coming recession.

EU leaders are trying to bridge their divisions to find a common response to soaring prices.

But each country defends its own energy mix and its priorities, so the Franco-German couple in particular seems to be in trouble.

One of the sticking points: capping the price of gas used to produce electricity for Europeans.

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Macron and Scholz were due to see each other next week as part of a joint Council of Ministers.

But Paris and Berlin finally canceled this meeting, against the backdrop of various disagreements.

Except that things can never stop there, in the Franco-German couple.

The French president will therefore receive, we learned this Thursday, the German chancellor, next Wednesday in Paris.

►Read also: Why the Franco-German engine is slipping

The two men saw each other on Thursday, October 20 in Brussels, before the opening of the EU summit.

And according to the Elysée, they also assured that they wanted to “ 

” set a new date for their Franco-German Council of Ministers.

Their tete-a-tete will however have been devoid of signs of complicity.

Just a handshake.

Because the disputes are there: capping the price of gas, solidarity in the face of soaring energy prices, armament...

This Thursday, from the European capital, the French head of state multiplied his claws against Mr. Scholz, posing as a champion of " 

 " in the face of a tempted Germany, according to him, by isolation.

I would not say that there is a breakdown (...) as far as I am concerned (...) I am, for more than five years now, always there to try to propose to move forward, to build the unity (...) Me, my wish is always to preserve European unity and also the friendship and the alliance between Germany and France.

The objective of the European Council which is opening: to move forward united, as Europeans, to bring down the prices of gas and electricity, and to keep this unity, our strength.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 20, 2022

At the heart of disagreements: energy

Paris defends the so-called " 

" mechanism, which subsidizes the price of gas and allows electricity producers to supply electricity at reduced prices.

But across the Rhine, Berlin categorically opposes it.

President Macron believes that Germany's position risks weakening the European Union, as our special correspondent in Brussels, 

, reports .

Emmanuel Macron:

I am going to work with Chancellor Scholz among others, I think it is not good, neither for Germany nor for Europe, that it isolates itself.

And so, it is important that on proposals that are the subject of a fairly broad consensus, we can find unanimity.

The Netherlands and Denmark are also on the Berlin line.

Olaf Scholz, who recalls that his country contributes 26% to the Union budget, believes that other means exist to lower prices while guaranteeing supplies.

Mr Scholz:

We must cooperate with the other requesting countries: South Korea, Japan... Also cooperate with our friends from the G7 and other producing countries to lower prices.

The instruments must be discussed in depth, because they must be effective.

No one wants to be left without gas.

From a French source, it is estimated that discussions are progressing and that positions are softening.

But the meeting was to go on late that night.

It is also the unity of the Twenty-Seven which is at stake, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

Putin irrt, wenn er glaubt erfolgreich zu sein, mit seinem Angriffskrieg und dem Einsatz von Hunger und Energie als Waffe.

Er will Angst säen, Europa spalten und einschüchtern.

Er erreicht das Gegenteil: Unser Land steht zusammen.

Europa steht zusammen.

#Regierungserklärung pic.twitter.com/RWXURg7z5H

— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) October 20, 2022

EU: they have all night ahead of them

The 27 Heads of State and Government of the European Union had seen each other a fortnight ago in Prague, in the Czech Republic, recalls our correspondent in Brussels,

.

But unlike their previous meeting, it is no longer an “informal” summit intended to allow broad debates, this time around;

Europeans must take a tangible decision.

The night will be long, so this was the little music heard from the mouths of most leaders on Thursday.

Council President Charles Michel spoke of a possible and probably difficult to reach agreement.

► Listen again: "We feel that there is a lone rider from Germany"

In short, it is a kind of self-imposed obligation of result: to bring down energy prices.

Unless it is a means of preparing European opinion for a mixed result.

Everyone could thus blame the others.

Already, many accuse the European Commission of having made proposals that will have no direct impact on household bills.

Brussels is criticized for contenting itself with proposing instruments for monitoring the markets, at best with a view to stabilizing them.

And we can see it, France and Germany hold the top billing in the confrontations.

But in reality, if Germany is supported by several northern European countries, it will also have to restore its political credibility with central Europe.

The technical tools for a price reduction will therefore not necessarily be found this time, but many hope at least for an agreement in principle on the direction to follow.

►Also listen: Energy: Europe at the time of savings

Once again, the Franco-German relationship is not looking good

“ 

 This is how the government spokesman conceded some disagreements with France, on the eve of the summit.

Berlin does not deny the differences, but neither does it seem to attach the same importance to them as Paris, explains our correspondent in the German federal capital,

.

Nothing very dramatic, seen from Germany, where the general line in diplomacy is that a good friend must be able to hear that one does not agree with him.

Disagreements, in fact, are not lacking, from defense to enlargement towards the Balkans, via energy.

Olaf Scholz has just reminded the Bundestag that a gas price cap can only work by associating non-European partners such as Japan or South Korea, light years away from the French position.

And if Emmanuel Macron seems to insinuate that Berlin is in the process of isolating itself, on the German side, it is insisted that at least Denmark, the Netherlands and Bulgaria share the same point of view.

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