On the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, France and Germany sign a new bilateral agreement: the Treaty of Aachen. Finally, it`s just as important not to let more down-to-earth problems poison the relationship and hinder those great things. For example, arms exports, especially jointly developed and built materials, remain a huge stumbling block in German-French affairs. The new treaty certainly stipulates that the two countries will develop a «common approach» in this matter – but they are not there yet. The Franco-German Defence and Security Council would be well advised to consider two options: an intergovernmental agreement on export control criteria or a list of eligible customers; or the creation of a common authority to decide on export applications. This historic agreement, a true «geopolitical miracle» after centuries of German-French rivalry and conflict, has laid new foundations for relations between the two countries. It provided for regular consultations between France and West Germany on all major foreign, defence, education and youth issues, with regular summits between heads of state and government, ministers and senior officials. The 2019 treaty aims to intensify bilateral cooperation and prepare both countries and the European Union (EU) for the challenges of the 21st century. Behind the many commitments made in the Treaty of Aachen lie many differences of opinion on defence, the future of the European Union, economic policy, relations with Russia, etc. The Treaty of Aachen, officially the Treaty of German-French Cooperation and Integration, also known as the Treaty of Aachen (German: Treaty of Aachen, Treaty of Aachen, French: Treaty of Aachen) is a bilateral agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic, which entered into force on 22 January 2020, one year after its signature. [1] It was signed on 22 January 2019 by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall.
On the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed a new German-French treaty on cooperation and integration in Aachen. That of France and Germany on the 22nd. The treaty signed in Aachen in January 2019 highlights the role of civil society in bilateral cooperation and aims to help «bring societies [and citizens of the two countries] closer together.» Thus, although a revived German-French leadership is a positive step in the EU, it is important that France and Germany see the Aachen Treaty as a starting point for the future development of the EU and not as an end in itself. In light of the European elections in May, it is important to point out that the 2019 EU is different from the previous version. It is a Union of 27 Member States, not the privileged few who are the most important or founding members. This must be reflected in the German-French common positions, in the work of the new European Commission, in the negotiations in the European Council and the European Parliament. It also published a video stating that cross-border cooperation «would place Alsace under the tutelage of Germany». Eurosceptic MEP Bernard Monot said Macron`s real goal was to «hand over Alsace and Lorraine, in the manner of Judas, to a foreign power.» Nicolas Dupont-Aignan of «France Arise» (DLF) called it a treaty of «submission». We placed ourselves in Merkel`s hands. Alexander Gauland, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), said Paris and Berlin were trying to create a «super-EU» within the European Union. Cross-border relations: The treaty provides for «closer links between citizens and businesses on both sides of the border» with «accelerated procedures» to promote projects and a «cross-border cooperation committee» composed of states, communities and parliaments. Doubts have already been expressed.
Politico Europe asks how much the Aachen Treaty is about cooperation between France and Germany and the mutual affection between Macron and Merkel. If Merkel leaves the chancellery, will the treaty remain just as important? Leonid Bershidsky reviews a list of differences between France and Germany and asks if and how the two countries can overcome them. In the context of the EU, the question arises as to how German-French cooperation fits into the Union. On the contrary, the benefits of the Aachen Treaty must be considered more indirectly and based on the question of the potential for strengthening bilateral relations between France and Germany for both sides and therefore for European partners. Can it provide a framework for the two partners to work more closely together in a world of geopolitical instability? fundamental security threats (from severe military capabilities to terrorism and destabilization efforts); greater global economic competition in industry, science and technology; and accelerate climate change? And can the Treaty of Aachen generate enough bilateral energy to stimulate and support action in the 28 members of the European Union (and not the original 6 members in 1963) to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century? Exactly one year after its signature, the Treaty of Aachen entered into force on Wednesday, 22 January 2020. After the completion of the national ratification procedures, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, German Ambassador to France, deposited the German instrument of ratification with François Delattre, Secretary General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. On 22 January 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel sign the Aachen Treaty on «German-French cooperation and integration». The document is intended to complement the original Elysée Treaty of 1963, signed by President Charles de Gaulle and Federal Chancellor Konrad. Institutional cooperation: A multi-year project programme that ranges from the conversion of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant to a German-French digital platform and cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence. A first list of projects is to be announced on Tuesday. The future of the EU is threatened not so much by its disintegration or collapse as by the withdrawal of the Member States – which translates into an ineffective Union that exists for itself.
Not being honest about the day-to-day realities of the EU increases the risk of fomenting anti-EU forces across Europe. Since then, Chancellor Merkel and President Macron have actively sought to revive the German-French tandem through symbolic declarations such as the Meseberg Declaration and joint ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The signing of the Treaty of Aachen is seen as the next step towards a closer and more vigorous German-French relationship. Secondly, and directly from there, what should be the ambition of European defence cooperation? This is the debate about Europe`s strategic autonomy, even if the term may be misleading: strategic independence from the United States is illusory and is not on the agenda anyway. .