Despite the recent disagreements between Paris and Berlin, we must relaunch the Franco-German alliance, "engine of Europe", asks the president of the Bundestag, lower house of the German parliament, Bärbel Bas.

“I have great hope that Franco-German relations will find new impetus thanks to the celebrations on Sunday of the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty which will give rise to the joint meeting of the two governments and the two parliaments”, affirms- her in an interview with AFP.

“In our two countries, we are aware that we are the engine of Europe”.

After months of hesitation, French President Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz are challenged to relaunch the Franco-German tandem: on the price of gas, nuclear power, the Future Air Combat System (SCAF) or anti-missile defense, the litigation has accumulated since Olaf Scholz succeeded Angela Merkel in December 2021. But "the strength of Franco-German relations is to transform the differences between the two countries into progress for Europe", wants to believe Bärbel Bas, citing subjects where France and Germany could develop joint projects in the EU, such as the establishment of a minimum wage and other social standards.

Celebrations to come

In terms of defence, at the heart of European concerns since the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022, Bärbel Bas also pleads for strong cooperation.

“We are called upon, as Europeans, to demonstrate the capacity for international action and to take back our security together in hand,” she declared.

"We must maintain solidarity with Ukraine, provide additional support in close coordination with our partners and preserve the unity of Europe."

On Sunday, around 120 German MPs are expected in Paris for the celebrations, according to the Bundestag.

They will be welcomed by their French counterparts in roughly the same number, which is much less than ten years ago for the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty celebrated in Berlin, where they were 400. The President of the Bundestag explains this low number by “the pandemic”.

“When we started planning the event, we wanted to minimize the risks,” she explains.



"Interest in the Franco-German has not diminished at all," she said.

To celebrate in 2024 the five years of the Franco-German parliamentary assembly, born on March 25, 2019, it is envisaged that the Bundestag and the National Assembly will be reunited "according to the possibilities" again as a whole, announces- she.

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