France and Germany meet in Toulouse

the essential
Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron meet today in Toulouse as part of a Franco-German Council of Ministers. The opportunity to strengthen links stretched celebrating a great success, that of Airbus.

Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel meet today in Toulouse as part of a Franco-German Council of Ministers. In a pink city whose hypercentre around the prefecture was placed under a bell to guard against any overflow of announced events, the German chancellor and the French president will try to iron out the differences that have multiplied in recent months, more particularly since the European elections. Last episode, last Thursday, the massive rejection of the candidacy of Sylvie Goulard for the post of commissioner in the future European Commission chaired by the German Ursula von der Leyen, former CDU minister of Angela Merkel … A slap for Emmanuel Macron , who expressed his anger cold last week, saying that the Germans had not respected their commitments, including Ms. von der Leyen, who assured him that Ms. Goulard would be confirmed without problem … The President of the Republic probably explained it with Chancellor Sunday and then Monday with Ursula von der Leyen.

From then on, after this snub, the Franco-German Council of Ministers falls to show that the Franco-German relationship is stronger than these political difficulties.

Traditional appointment established in 2003 by President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard SchrOder on the occasion of the commemoration of the forty years of the signing of the Elysee Treaty between de Gaulle and Adenauer, the Franco-German Council of Ministers (or Deutsch-FranzOsischer Ministerrat), meets once or twice a year. This is the first time since the signing by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel of the controversial Treaty of Aachen in January 2019, which was to strengthen the Franco-German relationship and send a message of support for the European construction.

The implementation of this treaty is also on the agenda of the Franco-German Council of Ministers. It must also address climate, industrial, defense and security issues. A theme that has become crucial in the international context, including Turkey's offensive in northern Syria.

"In order to illustrate the success of Franco-German and European cooperation, the President of the Republic and the Chancellor will visit the Airbus A350 aircraft assembly hall," said the Elysee. Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel will then meet high school students and apprentices who have benefited from the Avion Campus trades action. This afternoon the two leaders will have a bilateral meeting at the prefecture and will hold a joint press conference at 18.15 after the working session of the Franco-German Council of Ministers.

Finally, tonight Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel will participate in a dinner with theEuropean Roundtable of Industrialists which brings together the leaders of the major European industrial companies. The opportunity to show that Franco-German cooperation is still a driving force for Europe.