Emmanuel Macron should have been in Germany on Monday July 3 for a three-day state visit. The President of the Republic preferred to postpone this trip, to follow the evolution of the violence in France. A missed opportunity to revitalize the Franco-German couple.
Of course, the German government understands the urgency. “In Emmanuel Macron’s place, I would have done the same”assured Sunday July 2 Olaf Scholz, the chancellor who also says he is “concerned” by the violence which has taken place in recent days in France. This is not the first time that Emmanuel Macron has seen his agenda turned upside down. Three days ago, he had to cut short his presence at the European Council in Brussels. Express return to Paris, precisely to chair a meeting on the violence.
In another context – that of the pension conflict – Paris had also decided to postpone the visit of Charles III and Camilla. The British royal couple were due to come to France in March. For fear of violent demonstrations, the trip was postponed to a later date, “probably next fall”, says an adviser to the executive. All this, obviously, is not the best effect seen from abroad.
Consolidate Franco-German friendship
Can this postponement affect relations between Paris and Berlin? Let’s not go that far: this visit was above all formal. On the program: military ceremonies, cultural visits, from Berlin to Dresden, alongside the German president who has no real political power. The one who has it is the head of government, Chancellor Olaf Scholz. And there, no communication breakdown: he met Emmanuel Macron four times in a month. On the other hand, this state visit to Germany had the objective, according to the Elysée, of “consolidating Franco-German friendship”. It is true that the Franco-German couple has faltered in recent months. The most striking episode: the two countries had to postpone the Franco-German summit for several weeks, at the end of last year, because of disagreements on several issues.
Nuclear power first. Paris wants to include it in clean energies, which Berlin refuses. This is not just a semantic debate. This classification conditions the possibility of subsidizing – or not – atomic energy. Another file: the defense. France dreams of a defense 100% made in Europe. Germany buys American and Israeli equipment. Not exactly the same view.
Then, finally, there are the European financial rules. France would like a little more flexibility. Germany, on the contrary, wants a return to order, after the budgetary slackness of the covid period.
In short, of course, all these disagreements would not have been resolved during this visit, far from it. But finally, politics is also symbolism. And that of Franco-German friendship is not superfluous at the moment.