French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed this week a treaty “on Franco-German cooperation and integration”. Both countries celebrated the 56th birthday of the Elysée treaty, a founding text of the reconciliation signed in 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. But backlash criticises the new treaty.
Leader of French right wing party Le Rassemblement National (ex Front National) Marine Le Pen says the treaty is a danger for France sovereignty, also that French and ex-German land called “Alsace’ will be given back to Germany, and finally that French people will have to share their UN seat with Merkel. According to the German backlash, this treaty is not relevant since it lacks in social and environmental resolutions.
But what does the treaty foresee? There is no mention of Alsace. It does mention the United Nations, but only in order to conduct negotiations aimed at ensuring that Germany will one day have a permanent seat on the Security Council, in the same way as France. This treaty should reinforce cooperation between Germany and France by creating a common organisation to decide on the missions of their armed forces. The text also plans to promote mobility between the two countries for citizens and companies, for example by creating mobility programs dedicated to young people or by improving cross-border rail links. Both countries are looking to create an economic zone with common rules. The treaty would also lead to projects in renewable energies.
The treaty is expected to be ratified by the parliaments of both countries in the near future.
