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Global Affairs
When Europe’s Franco-German engine sputters
The EU’s tandem no longer sees eye to eye on almost every critical policy decision for the continent
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While personal relations between French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remain cordial, the two countries no longer see eye to eye on almost every other critical policy decision for Europe.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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When France and Germany do not get along, the European Union is in difficulty; the so-called “Franco-German motor” has driven most EU projects for decades.
The French and the Germans are the EU’s biggest nations and biggest economies. The rule of thumb in the bloc is that if France and Germany agree, almost everything can be done, but if one of them disagrees on a particular topic, nothing can be accomplished.
