On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaves for a visit to China alone to defend Germany’s interests in a divided Europe. Emmanuel Macron, had offered to accompany him in the name of common interests. A trip that questions the relations of the Franco-German couple, “There is no hitch between Paris and Berlin” ensures Wednesday, November 2 on franceinfo Olivier Becht, Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French people living abroad.
franceinfo: Is it a diplomatic mistake on the part of the German Chancellor to go alone to China?
Olivier Becht: I don’t think it was a diplomatic mistake by the German Chancellor. Each state has its protocol visits to the different countries. The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron will go to the United States at the beginning of December, I do not believe that he is going there with Chancellor Scholz. I very sincerely think that at the German level, German industry has a dependence vis-à-vis China that France does not have or in any case in a much lighter way.
“It is not illogical for the Chancellor to go to China and to go there alone if it is to talk about the vulnerability of the German economy in relation to China.”
Olivier Becht, Minister Delegate for Foreign Tradeat franceinfo
I very sincerely believe that the Franco-German couple remains solid, even if of course we must reaffirm a certain number of cooperations and move forward together to meet the challenges that are ours today in Europe and in the world. There is no hitch between Paris and Berlin. The Franco-German couple works in confidence and must necessarily renew itself in a period that is complicated where there are many things that change at the same time.
The government wants to create a “jobs in tension” residence permit to encourage the recruitment of foreign workers in an irregular situation in sectors that are struggling to recruit. Can this project encourage certain companies to come and set up in France?
The measure is mainly made to respond to French entrepreneurs. A few days ago, I went to Brittany to meet business leaders who told me we are under pressure, we need manpower. So, yes, the fact at one time or another of having residence permits to regularize people who are already working, who are in companies, allows us to regularize and maintain the workforce that we need. And it is not exclusive, contrary to what we can hear from some politicians, of the efforts that we must make to reduce our unemployment rate even further (…). I don’t think that creates a draft because people are already on national soil and, once again, we need labor in Europe.
Watch the full interview: