FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
In these times of war in Ukraine and other "lethal" threats, such as the risk of technological stagnation, or the China-US Cold War, it is vital that the EU's two main powers come together. Even when they disagree, as they have for months.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz along with their wives dined together at an upscale Parisian restaurant on Thursday evening; a "private" meal at a crucial moment for "Europe in danger"!
No information has been released from that May 2 private meeting. The head of state and the German chancellor, whose relations appear to be easing after months of tension, according to those close to them, have discussed the sensitive topics of the moment, starting with Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe in the coming weeks. .
While this visit is expected to start in France on May 6 and 7, before going to Hungary and Serbia, the Europeans are making a special effort to consult in order to try to "rebalance" their trade with China, encouraging him, without much success, to use his influence in Russia to find a way out of the war in Ukraine.
But deep down, they fear they will be victims of tensions between Washington and Beijing.
While the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House is taken seriously. Macron and Scholz also reportedly consulted on the topic of European defense while Russia is at war with Ukraine, with increasing support from China, even if the latter is careful not to deliver arms directly to Moscow and to officially display its "neutrality". in conflict.
Scholz and Macron had previously spoken by phone on April 12, shortly before a trip to Beijing - the second in less than eighteen months - by the German head of government. On Monday, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will participate in part of the talks between Xi and Macron, who thus seeks to give a European dimension to the Franco-Chinese dialogue in order to have more influence. big against Beijing.
The head of the European executive was already invited together with the French president during his visit to Beijing in April 2023. Inviting the twenty-seven countries to reduce their dependence on China, she did not hesitate on this occasion to adopt a stronger tone to restart relations paralyzed by the pandemic due to Covid-19.
However, two days before Xi Jinping's arrival in France, Emmanuel Macron called on Europe, in an interview with the British weekly The Economist, to protect its "strategic interests" and "national security issues" using "reciprocity". in its trade relations with Beijing.
Gastronomic diplomacy
The Franco-German relationship is such that it depends in part on the alchemy between the two main leaders - De Gaulle-Adenauer, Mitterrand-Kohl, Chirac-Schroeder, etc. - but that's not all. The extent of common interests is considerable, and above all, both countries are aware of their special responsibility within the European Union.
In these times of war in Ukraine and other "deadly" threats, such as the risk of technological stagnation, or the China-US Cold War, it is vital that the two main powers of the EU come together. Even when they disagree, as they have for months.
European leadership cannot be secured by a single country, however powerful, nor by a single leader, however ambitious. Neither France nor Germany can manage the 27 European countries on their own; Poland is now the best candidate to join this historic leadership and different coalitions are being formed depending on the topic. It's a complex process, but what better way to bridge differences than through gastronomic diplomacy?/ Adapted "Pamphlet" from "Le Monde" and "WorldCrunch"
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