The Franco-German dialogue on the future of the EU

Författare: Engberg Katarina

The reconciliation of France and Germany has been central to European integration. Today, the two countries are seeking to strengthen the EU in a new context of external and internal pressures.

This analysis, based on interviews in the French and German Government Offices, accounts for the Franco-German dialogue on central EU issues: external affairs, security and defence policies as well as economic matters. It provides a broad picture of both differences and possible agreements.

According to the author, analysing the current Franco-German relationship is important to understand where the Union may be heading. One argument is that other member states need to join the discussion on solutions that can be translated into common EU positions.

The analysis is the third in SIEPS' series on structured member state cooperation.