Franco-German cooperation
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The Franco-German Cooperation or Franco-German Partnership are terms to describe the high collaboration between the countries of France and Germany in the post-1945 world. It replaced the previous longstanding enmity between the two countries.
Especially in the context of the European Union, the cooperation between the countries reaches immense coordination and collaboration. Even though France has at times been eurosceptical in outlook, especially under President de Gaulle, Franco-German agreements and cooperations have always been key to furthering the ideals of European integration.
In recent times, France and Germany are the most enthusiastic proponents of the further integration of the EU. They are sometimes described as the "twin engine" or "core countries" pushing for moves. This agenda is facing relative opposition from those adhereing to a Eurosceptic ideology.
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[edit] History
The Franco-German Cooperation as we know it today dates back to the Élysée Treaty, which was signed by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer on January 22, 1963. The treaty contained a number of agreements for joint cooperation in foreign policy, economic and military integration and exchange of student education.
The treaty was signed under difficult political situations at that time and critised both by opposition parties in France and Germany, as well as from the United Kingdom and the United States.
With the threat of the Soviet Union during the cold war, Germany sought its national security in the re-integration into Western Europe and France its re-establishment as a Grande Nation. Opposition from the United Kingdom and the United States was answered by an added preamble which postulated a close cooperation with those (including NATO) and a targeted German reunification.
The treaty achieved a lot in initiating European integration and a stronger Franco-German co-position in transatlantic relations.
The initial concept for the Franco-German cooperation however dates back a lot further than the Elysée Treaty and is based on the overcoming the century long Franco-German rivalry in Europe and the re-establishment of a Europe before the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD.
The Schuman declaration is also regarded by some as the founding of Franco-German cooperation.
The cooperation had a strong personal alliance during the late 80s and early 90s between François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl.
[edit] Alliances
[edit] Political Alliances
As early as 1994 - a time of the EU12 - the German Christian Democrats Wolfgang Schäuble and Karl Lamers published a pamphlet in which they called for a Kerneuropa (= core Europe). This came in response to a slowing down European integration by eurosceptic member states while many Europeans in "core Europe" states ask for a stronger Europe. Those countries typically include France, Germany and the Benelux, as well as Austria and Spain. The core Europe idea envisaged that it would have a 'centripetal effect', a magnetic attraction for the rest of Europe.
Yet, the emergence of a "core social Europe" is highly unlikely. Such a policy would contradict the structural reform agenda that has marked the German socialdemocratic government and would also be at odds with Berlin's general support for further enlargement.
Other practical problems of a possible core Europe are that France and Germany find it hard to establish agreement within various policy areas. Both countries want to strengthen European defence forces, but Germany is cutting its defence spending. Both France and Germany would like to boost the EU's foreign policy, but France no longer supports Germany's call for majority voting in foreign policy. On asylum and migration policies, the two countries have quite different approaches, and progress in other areas of justice and home affairs has been slow.
However the two countries manage a common European policy in regard to European integration and also foreign affairs, a strong example of this is the 2003 Iraq War that aligned the Franco-German alliance with Russia in opposition to American foreign policy.
President Chirac has stated his desire to see Europe as a counterweight to American power against what some see as increasingly predatory American politics in the Middle East.
[edit] Military Alliances
- EADS
- Airbus (80% EADS, 20% BAE Systems)
[edit] Economical Alliances
The government of the two nations are making enormous efforts to merge the biggest enterprises of the Franco-German industrial alliance, it is interesting to note that once united the Franco-Germans enterprises often rise to world leadership in their respective fields.
Franco-German collaborative enterprises include;
[edit] Cultural Alliances
[edit] Relations to the United Kingdom
Outside of France and Germany, the role of Franco-German cooperation with regards to EU agenda setting is frequently perceived as an example of big countries pushing their agenda in the EU to the expense of smaller nations.
It has also been seen as a vehicle to exclude the UK from a central role in EU decision making, those 3 nations being viewed as the main large nations of the EU, which has been easy to project given the UK's traditionally different views on the issue of European integration.
Franco-German 'secret' deal on EU agricultural subsidies
[edit] External Perceptions
Spanish irritation of excessive dominance of the EU agenda by France & Germany
[edit] Transatlantic Relations
[edit] See also
- Franco-German relations
- Anglo-French relations
- Anglo-German relations
- Transatlantic relations
- Franco-American relations
- German-American relations
[edit] External links
- Coordinator of Franco-German Cooperation
- La Gazette de Berlin The Newspaper in french for Germany + 1 Page in german
- Franco-German network
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