Emmanuel Macron in Berlin to ease tensions with Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Emmanuel Macron goes to Berlin on Friday March 14 for a meeting devoted to the war in Ukraine. The head of state is due to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The three leaders planned to reaffirm their unity and commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russia. But for Emmanuel Macron, there is another issue: calming relations with neighboring Germany, undermined by the French president’s latest statements on aid to Ukraine.

Because the French president is often perceived in Germany as a warmonger who is fond of noisy declarations. On the other hand, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is known to be cautious, reserved, and fearing an escalation in the conflict. The hypothesis, formulated by Emmanuel Macron, of sending ground troops to Ukraine surprised and annoyed Berlin. Since then, unease has set in between the two leaders.

“Achieve unity and common action”

These differences were aired publicly, which Wolfgang Ischinger, the former German ambassador to the United States, regretted, interviewed by the Welt TV channel. “It is everyone’s duty to do everything imaginable to achieve unity and common action. If Germany and France flaunt their disagreements in front of the Russians, where do you think the champagne corks are going jump? Not in Washington or Italy, but in Moscow”, he warned.

The bilateral meeting scheduled for Friday midday between Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz should help resolve differences. But Marc Ringel, the director of the Franco-German institute in Ludwigsburg, puts the tensions into perspective. “It’s not that serious because there will always be discussions and conflicts. These are the signs of vibrant democracies and in the end we always manage to find solutions”, he assures. Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz at least agree on the essentials, that Russia must not win the war. This question remains to be answered: how can we help Ukraine win?