French and German leaders hold talks in Paris to discuss bilateral relations and other issues

French and German leaders hold talks in Paris to discuss bilateral relations and other issues

China News Agency, Paris, October 26th French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Scholz held talks in Paris on 26th local time to discuss issues such as Franco-German relations.

Scholz arrived that day at the Elysée in Paris and Macron welcomed him. The two then held talks and had lunch. French officials said talks between the leaders of France and Germany have been “very constructive” and that the two countries will continue discussions at the working group level on defense, energy and other issues.

French public opinion generally believes that French and German leaders have chosen to hold talks at this time to try to narrow the differences between the two sides on many issues, especially in the energy and defense sectors, and to revive the process. cooperation between the two sides. However, Agence France-Presse cited an analysis of the official agreement saying that expectations for the talks between Macron and Scholz were limited.

The energy crisis is currently at the center of common concerns between France and Germany, but the two countries have differences on related issues. Germany has decided to spend large sums of money to push for gas price subsidies and disagrees with EU-wide energy price caps. France and some other EU countries fear that Germany’s energy policy will affect their energy costs.

France and Germany have also recently disagreed on defense issues. Germany is considered to be interested in the defense of Eastern Europe and cooperates with relevant NATO members on issues related to the missile defense system, while military cooperation projects with France, in particular defense procurement projects, have been lenses. Furthermore, France and Germany are also divided on how to adapt the EU to new challenges and how to allow the EU to quickly admit new members, Agence France-Presse said.

French Minister of Economy and Finance Le Maire previously said that Franco-German relations are facing “difficulties” and that relations between the two countries must be “restarted”. He believes that issues such as the Ukrainian crisis and the energy crisis have resulted in a “strategic redefinition of Franco-German relations”.

Some French scholars of international affairs believe that the current Franco-German differences are not a fundamental crisis and that France and Germany should try to overcome their differences and work out a common response plan.

Source: Chinese News Network