The Franco-German Relationship

Content

1. Political relations

2. Economic relations

3. Cultural relations

4. The "deep, underlying strategies" of the Franco-German relationship3

5. Some differences

6. The Iraqi crisis

7. Looking to the future of the special relations between Germany and France

“International Relations is like jazz: continual improvisation around a theme.” Richard Holbrooke, US Ambassador to the United Nations

First some facts about the French-German political, economic and cultural relations.^[1]

1. Political relations

Since the post-war period, and since the Elysée Treaty was signed in 1963, the Franco-German relationship has been and continues to be the driving force in Europe.

The co-operation between the governments is extraordinarily close and institutionalized due to the Elysée Treaty and its amendment of 1988. To name just a few examples:

- half-yearly government consultations (summits), which, since 1999, have focused on current topics of society in both countries and therefore go beyond simple co-operation between governments,
- the German-French Security and Defense Council,
- the Councils for Economic, Financial and Environmental Affairs and
- the coordinators for German-French co-operation, which devote most of their attention today to the field of civil society

In addition, since the beginning of 2001, heads of state and government and the foreign ministers of both countries have been holding informal meetings every 6-8 weeks for open and intense discussion on current topics of European and international interest (Blaesheim talks).

Both countries have played a pioneering role in defense policy by founding the Eurocorps and both are actively participating in the creation of a European Security and Defense Policy. And Germany and France are each other's most important partners in international co-operation on armaments.

France is Germany's closest and most important partner in Europe. With no other country does it coordinate all its policies more extensively or regularly. With the joint plenary session of the German Bundestag and the National Assembly on the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty, the parliaments reaffirmed and stepped up their close cooperation, including:

- Joint sessions of the foreign affairs committees of the two parliaments
- Regular exchange of views between German and French parties
- Annual meetings of the two parliamentary speakers
- Friendship groups in the two houses of both countries
- Exchange programme for parliamentary assistants
- Short observation visits by parliamentarians to their counterparts in the two countries

2. Economic relations

Germany and France are by far each other's most important trading partners. In 2001, Germany exported 11% of its exports to France, while France sold 14% of its total exports in Germany. The strong trading relationship has led to significant direct investments in both countries. At the end of 2000, the volume of German direct investments in France was EUR 23 billion, and France had invested EUR 29 billion in Germany. In the years following German reunification, France was the leading country of origin for foreign investments in former East Germany. Together, the two national economies account for more than 50% of the Euro-Zone's economic output.

Germany is France’s leading trading partner and vice versa. In 2003, 10.6% of German exports were destined for France while France delivered 14.8% of its exports to Germany. The figures for the first half of 2004 also confirm this leading position. This high volume of trade has also resulted in large direct investments in both countries. In the new federal states, France is the second largest direct investor after the US.

3. Cultural relations

Since the 1950s and particularly since the conclusion of the Elysée Treaty (22 January 1963), Germany and France probably maintain the closest-knit social relations of any two countries. Of prime importance is the youth exchange coordinated by the Franco-German Youth Office (up to 200,000 participants annually in about 7,000 programmes - some seven million having taken part since 1963) and the twinning partnerships between towns and regions (2,200 in total) and schools (some 4,300).

Particular emphasis is placed on cooperation in culture and education.

4. The "deep, underlying strategies" of the Franco-German relationship

International politics is not random but rather has deep, underlying strategies.

The post-war Franco-German relationship has taken on new dimensions driven by geo-political, economic and generational change. Having overcome their "Erbfeindschaft" beginning as reunification became possible has yet be patched up.^[2]

After many decades of strained relations based on conflict, Germany and France began to come closer together in the 1950s. German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman and his adviser Jean Monnet played a major role in the active European integration projects in the post war years. And after an exchange of visits between Adenauer and French President Charles de Gaulle, relations advanced and eventually led to the signing of the treaty in which both governments pledge to consult each other on all relevant questions of foreign policy, security, youth and culture.

Adenauer and de Gaulle in 1957 had different interests but got along quite well on a personal level while Pompidou and Brandt had several differing opinions, especially regarding Germany’s ostpolitik. France was afraid that Germany would shift its focus to Eastern Europe and neglect its ties to France and other Western states. The economic policies of Schmidt and d’Estaing were again so similar that smaller countries started to fear the domination of France and Germany. Mitterand and Kohl were such good friends that they pushed ahead the relationship between their countries as well as the European Union itself. Together, they relaunched the idea of the Economic and Monetary Union and the idea of a Single Market.^[3] Some scholars suggest that the relationship develops with the personalities of the leaders of France and Germany.^[4] This theory implies that politicians are completely independent and not accountable to their constituency at all. Furthermore, this theory is an oversimplification since it does not explain the shift in relations between France and Germany over the past ten years. These changes took place under the same political leaders. Others scholars like Dinan argue that the Franco-German relationship is strictly based on economics.^[5] There is some truth to that argument but economics is definitely not the one and only explanation for the alliance. Both countries had an economic reason to oppose the iraq-war because their economies was suffered from the consequences of the war. But the Franco-German resistance towards the war goes beyond the theories mentioned above and opposes the hegemony of the United States overall. And only with this Single Market can the European Union surpass the United States as an economic superpower in the world. The Single European Act created a single European market which was defined as an area without borders in which the free movement of goods, services, people, and capital is ensured. Again, it has been shown that collaboration within the European Union was and still is necessary to gain strength in the face of stronger and more powerful states like the United States. France and Germany were the major players in the creation of the Economic and Monetary Union.^[6]

Both countries have an interest in playing a role in world politics and both know that if they work together, they can exercise greater influence. Germany still hopes for a more federal Europe but its true motives are to advance its own interests because Germany will profit from a federal Europe. Germany is one of the bigger and more influential countries in the European Union due to its involvement in the European Union in the past and due to its large population, and it will therefore have more influence over federal institutions which then govern all of Europe. France, on the other hand, advocates that the individual states maintain their sovereignty as much as possible also in order to benefit itself.^[7]

5. Some differences

Dinan points out that the question of economic and monetary cooperation between France and Germany was one of the main tensions between the two countries.^[8]

Since the break-up of the Soviet bloc and the reunification of Germany, France’s place at the center of Europe has become threatened. France’s reaction was to step up its attempts to bring about European integration, especially through promotion of the single currency. France decided also to help to create a political Europe (“Europe puissance”) by promoting the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and by re-launching a common European security and defense policy (ESDP), together with the UK.^[9]

[...]

^[1] http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/en/laenderinfos/laender/print_html?type_id=13&land_id=46

^[2] Wood, p. 211

^[3] Hildebrandt, http://www.eucenter.scrippscol.edu/eu_events/paper/panel10/katja _hildebrandt.html

^[4] Cole, p. 150

^[5] Dinan, p.28

^[6] Hildebrandt, http://www.eucenter.scrippscol.edu/eu_events/paper/panel10/katja _hildebrandt.html

^[7] Hildebrandt, http://www.eucenter.scrippscol.edu/eu_events/paper/panel10/katja _hildebrandt.html

^[8] Dinan, p. 68

^[9] Lefebvre, France and Europe: an ambivalent relationship, U.S.-Europe Analysis Series September 2004