A press conference as a Symbol: Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron languages in Brussels on the future of Europe. The best Chance of the EU lies in the success of these two, says Barbara Wesel.
It looked like the beginning of a beautiful European friendship, an ideal Couple to a common stage: The Chancellor with the rest of their long experience and the young President Emmanuel Macron, still full of unbridled dynamics. He lends her the appearance of Freshness and new beginnings, the French their in-depth knowledge of European and international policy. These two are better together than each alone.
The German-French engine has started
If Germany and France work together, then it can go in Europe. So not everything is done, but it is the prerequisite for our common future, says Emmanuel Macron. He has won with a clear pro-European campaign for the presidency and profiles already in his first appearance at an EU summit in Brussels, with a claim to leadership.
The French President summons the spirit of cooperation that is reminiscent of the predecessor, Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand. Angela Merkel says that the history of historians will written and it is their aim to find solutions for the present. With a tiny Twitch in the corner of the mouth. Macron dashes a little, find a couple of big words, Merkel can get him back on the carpet. So this can work, in a Balance of political and practical objectives.
Barbara Wesel is Europe correspondent of the DW
The Commonality is a Signal
Germany and France report back as a driving force in Europe. And it is high time. After years of political Gezappels, the duration of crises and ignored issues, the EU needs a self-assurance: Who we are and where we want to go.
Is still mocking the question: And how many? Then the German Chancellor is cooling on the response, if she speaks only of the “EU-27”. The Brexit will regret for the next event value, but not the centre of European policy. The mandated negotiators to rules questions, the detail, the heads of state and heads of government make the final decisions. Theresa May, the tried with your offer for the Post-Brexit to make the rights of EU citizens, the summit Forum for their ideas and wishes, had a pretty cool collection.
Paris and Berlin, but already in the design of the future. There’s no dramatically new ideas, but a determination to get on with things. Europe needs to protect people better, says Emmanuel Macron, and he means the new defence cooperation, but also the protection of domestic industry against dumping practices. Angela Merkel promotes free trade and does not want protectionism. But at the same time it threatens the United States: If Washington does not believe that the US market for European companies open, would the US find companies in the EU are equally locked doors.
The two leaders set the accents differently, and Macron admit deficits in France, but both politicians are pulling the wagon in the same direction. You want to integrate Europe further, even if you have to make a change to the contract. The community is to maintain its values of solidarity and its citizens through acts of sure of it. But already now the deterrent effect of the Brexit – the EU-scepticism has decreased the according to surveys, anywhere.
Happy coincidence or what can go wrong?
You can see Merkel and Macron so in harmony with their plans present, would you like to believe in happy coincidence. To the Saving that can grow out of the Need is highest and all sorts of other tight words. On this summit was geschwurbelt all the enthusiasm about the new optimism here, and there’s a little bit poetic.
In a Situation where Europe, after the refugee crisis and the Brexit Referendum once again on the Brink and Donald Trump more unsettled seemed to be a young politician, and gives the community a new impetus. And he takes Angela Merkel, some of the load off of the shoulders that would carry for the “leader of the Western world” alone is pretty hard to duration. This includes, for example, he says some Eastern Europeans being open to the opinion that the EU consider as the main cashier and solidarity as a one-way street.
But too much Exuberance can lead to disappointed expectations. Macron must show in France that he can convince his stubborn countrymen of reforms, before he can begin to think of reconstruction in Europe. And cash advance will not be distributed laurels. But he has the German Chancellor at his side, the aims in a very practical and somewhat prosaic to the Feasible, and only then is ready to deploy the one or the other Vision. If we’re lucky, Merkel and Macron be quite strong.
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