A forward-looking German presidency.

AuthorGrapin, Jacqueline
PositionEditorial

For at least two years, whenever or whatever went wrong in the European Union or in Transatlantic relations, there was an implicit expectation that it would be fixed ... by the German presidency. Now Berlin's turn has come: it has until June 2007, using Germany's organizational ability and political skills, to make headway in resolving the multi-dimensional contradictions that have become our daily fare in the Western Hemisphere. Chancellor Merkel and her diplomatic team have laid the constructive groundwork for initiatives and meetings while seeking to lower expectations to align them more closely with what Berlin deems possible.

British voices have made themselves heard, notably in Washington, warning that Germany is not as powerful as it used to be because Berlin can no longer count on the solidity and influence of "the Franco-German couple." True, France may no longer be as enthusiastic as it was about European integration: nowadays, Paris looks askance at the predominance of "Anglo-Saxon liberalism" in EU institutions. And, true, the Franco-German couple cannot be as influential in an EU numbering 27 countries as it was when there were 15 members. Does that mean that expectations should be lowered to the point where not much should be expected?

The German presidency's work will be impeded by the French electoral calendar involving a presidential election in late May. Berlin can hardly propose spectacular initiatives before knowing who will lead French foreign policy-making and what their views will be. But Chancellor Merkel is right to try to revive the stalled EU constitution. There is general agreement that no further EU enlargement can happen without prior institutional reform within the union. Her plan is to convene a conference of the 18 member states that have ratified the constitution; then bring together the countries which voted against it in their referenda; and then move toward a common approach by the end of the German term. The hope is to preserve some key aspects of the text (such as a smaller European Commission, the creation of a full-time EU president and a foreign minister) and to reform the voting rules on unanimity and qualified majorities in order to facilitate the decision-making process.

Moreover, it may be a mistake to assert that the Franco-German couple has become a thing of the past. It is more likely to remain a thing of the future. While relations between Chancellor Merkel and Jacques Chirac may not have...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT