French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed on 4 February in Paris to work more closely together to make the European Union stronger, but did not miss the opportunity to discuss collaborating on joint projects and address their relations with Russia. “This leadership does not target anyone,” Sarkozy told a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace. “We want only that a politically strong Europe exists. And Germany and France must work together so that a politically strong Europe exists.”
The declaration came after US President Barack Obama snubbed what was to have been a joint US-EU summit in Madrid, stirring fears that Brussels was losing political influence abroad.
The meeting was an opportunity to reinforce joint Franco-German positions. “We will present common proposals on issues that are important to us. Economic governance for the 27 (EU states) is something where we are very much in agreement; the lessons to learn from the Copenhagen (climate summit); the preparations for the French presidency of the G8 and G20 which we will manage together facing up to the essential questions as far as we are concerned like the reform of the international monetary system, where there will be a Franco-German proposal,” Sarkozy said. “We (also) think ... that we need to review the indicators for economic growth if we want to see sustainable growth,” he added. “We are also going to address the big international questions and take common initiatives on the Middle East... and the partnership between Europe and Russia, where want to highlight and follow up on the propositions made by (Russian President) Medvedev,” Sarkozy said. “The Europe-Russia relationship is fundamental,” Merkel said. “We have to end the Cold War once and for all.”
Maria Lipman, an analyst with the Carnegie Centre in Moscow, told New Europe by phone on 5 February that the EU cannot demonstrate a single opinion as far as Russian policy is concerned. Moscow has always been more successful in bilateral relations with the so-called Old Europe. “France and Germany are two examples. Italy, of course, is another. (Russian Prime Minister Vladimir) Putin’s friendly relations with (Italian Prime Minister Silvio) Berlusconi were one of the important factors with our relations with Italy,” Lipman said. “Russia has indeed preferred bilateral relations with countries – especially countries of the so-called old Europe – to relations with the EU given how difficult it is for the EU members to reach uniform decisions on almost anything and Russian policy is not exception. Also, of course, EU is a huge bureaucracy and dealing with the EU is more difficult for this reason as well.”
Lipman noted that relations between Russia and the EU have not developed smoothly, citing three issues: the Energy Charter, which Russia refused to ratify; European security and the suggestions of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, which Europe is only beginning to discuss and the original reaction was not that of enthusiasm; and NATO. “The relations between Russia and NATO may have improved lately but again there is a lot to do for there to be a more constructive dialogue,” Lipman said.
Regarding energy, France and Germany are going to study the possibility of setting up a German-French gas clearing house that involves all players. “It should ensure that German and French clients will be supplied as sufficiently as possible through suitable cross border mechanisms in the case of gas shortages,” a joint declaration read.
Sarkozy and Merkel met on the occasion of the 12th Franco-German joint cabinet meeting, at which ministers from both countries also sat down together to discuss collaborating on joint projects. Following the meeting, the two countries presented an ambitious program of 80 joint projects, dubbed Agenda 2020, intended to deepen bilateral cooperation over the next decade. The projects included agreements on creating long-term joint economic and financial policies, such as a stricter regulation of global derivatives markets and hedge funds.
France and Germany also emphasized their agreement on an ambitious program to fight global warming, which included the launch of “the world’s first cross-border demonstration project for electric cars.” Sarkozy said that neither he nor Merkel were happy with the outcome of December’s Copenhagen climate summit. “In Copenhagen, we were together the entire day, and we really had the same analysis,” Sarkozy said. “We are not happy with what happened, the way it happened, and we will no longer permit things to go on in this way,” he said.