OPINION: Will Europe's Best Friendship Save Europe?

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair (Source: Wikimedia Commons).

Postwar solidarity between France and Germany has supported the European Union’s continued growth and stability. When German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the Aachen Treaty in late January, they seemed to affirm not only the strength of the Franco-German friendship but also the strength of the European Union (EU).

However, emphasizing the bond between the EU’s two leading powers may not reassure European leaders about the bloc’s future. On the contrary, some officials worry that robust Franco-German bilateralism could weaken the multilateral integrity of EU institutions by excluding other member states from decision making, according to Politico. National politicians in smaller EU countries protest that France and Germany wield inordinate influence over policy. Reminders of Franco-German intimacy risk fueling narratives that portray the EU as partial and elite.

Furthermore, France and Germany still disagree on some of the particulars of a shared European future. While they both advocate collective European defense, they have supported competing programs. Last year, France, dissatisfied with the EU’s German-backed Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) program, established the European Intervention Initiative (E21) outside of the EU framework. As the Economist explained, Germany has grudgingly signed onto E21, but ambiguity and divergence in French and German security leadership may discourage other European countries from following them into multilateral arrangements.  

Domestic politics further complicates France and Germany’s continued roles as joint defenders of European unity. Macron and Merkel’s pro-EU administrations coexist with some of Europe’s most prominent Eurosceptic parties: the National Rally (RN)—formerly, the National Front—and Alternative for Germany (AfD). In an ironic parallel to Merkel and Macron’s gesture, an alliance between the RN and AfD in the next session of the European Parliament after May elections seems increasingly likely. Politico reports that the parties are communicating more frequently.

Germany and France remain close, but their proximity does not guarantee agreement on major policy issues and may not signal broader European unity.