Author(s): Jana Puglierin and Ulrike Esther Franke
Affiliation: Senior Policy Fellows at ECFR
Organization/Publisher: European Council on Foreign Relations
Date/Place: July 14, 2020/ Berlin, Germany
Type of Literature: Analysis
Number of Pages: 35
Link: https://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/the_big_engine_that_might_how_france_and_germany.pdf
Keywords: EU, Germany, France, EU Unity.
Brief:
This policy brief is commissioned to analyze, through survey, the Franco-German role in leading the EU in Foreign policy. Despite being one of the most “disappointing” states according to other EU states, Germany always remains the first country in leading, followed by France. While the international environment prompts both countries to create a strong Europe to shape the world, each state’s different foreign policy toward various topics has widened the fissure between Germany and France. However, with the rise of China and its rivalry with the US to build strong ties with the EU, Germany and France have to jointly work together to prevent both Beijing and Washington from pitting EU member states against one another. Again, the Franco-German divergence upon security and defense surfaces their quarrel. Thus, for the EU to establish a common policy, EU member states should consider the escalating rivalry between great powers. Additionally, France and Germany should work together in a flexible way to bring about the cohesion of the EU in the future, and find a common ground that helps the EU achieve its objectives and increase its role as a global actor.
By: Imad Atoui, CIGA Research Associat
