Steinmeier, on state visit to France, says Germans will remain good Europeans

Centre · 1German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday 8 October that Germany would remain committed to Europe, after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron during a state visit to France. 1 Centre · 1Steinmeier said "The Germans will remain good Europeans, despite all the changes taking place here -- economically, politically, and especially in security policy," and that Germany "can only be successful as a European Germany, closely embedded in the EU". 1 Centre · 1Macron said "If Germany and France do not move forward together, Europe will not move forward at all," and called the two countries' friendship their "greatest strength". 1

Centre · 1Steinmeier said political polarisation and the growing strength of radical forces were making it harder to form governments and govern, and that "We will not escape our growth crisis if everything remains as it is." 1 Centre · 2According to the German government, as cited by Anadolu Agency, it was the first state visit to France by a German federal president in 13 years; it was also a farewell visit, as both presidents leave office soon, which Deutsche Welle puts at 2027 after ten years in office. 1 2 Centre · 1Macron staged military honours for Steinmeier under the Arc de Triomphe, with streets cordoned off across a wide area, while student strikes took place elsewhere in Paris. 2

Centre · 1Deutsche Welle noted that populists are gaining support in both countries, with the AfD first in German national polls and Macron possibly succeeded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon or Marine Le Pen. It said Steinmeier did not say where his confidence came from, and that journalists' questions were not permitted at the joint press conference at the Élysée Palace. 2 Centre · 1Political scientist Jacob Ross of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) told DW that both leaders lack a "genuine agenda" for Germany, France and Europe and have mostly reacted to events, for example over Russia after 2022. 2 Centre · 1Defence cooperation showed strain: after the joint FCAS fighter jet fell through in June, French Chief of the General Staff Fabien Mandon told the National Assembly that Germany had withdrawn from the MGCS tank project, then said he had expressed himself ambiguously. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said "The MGCS project is not over; it is not dead; it has not been terminated by anyone". 2

Centre · 1On Friday the presidents visited sites near Bordeaux linked to space and nuclear deterrence, including ArianeGroup, which makes M51 missiles; DW said this focus was unofficially reported to be a personal priority for Macron, who has spoken of a European dimension to French deterrence, though French nuclear weapons would stay under sole French control. 2 Centre · 1DW concluded that the two-day visit, which ended Friday afternoon, brought little sign of new momentum in Franco-German relations, leaving it to the presidents' successors to develop a shared vision. 2