Event Recap: 60 Years After the Elysée Treaty – Does the Franco-German “Engine” Need a Change?

The Elysée Treaty was signed on January 22, 1963. Since then, the Franco-German tandem has repeatedly proven to be the “engine” of the European unification process. Nevertheless, on its 60^th anniversary, there is not much of a celebratory mood. It is overshadowed by war and crisis, especially since Germany and France do not agree on important issues of crisis management, such as the further development of European security policy and future energy policy.

Against this backdrop, where do France and Germany stand today? How well is the “engine” working in these turbulent times of war and “Zeitenwende”? Our Co-Director Malte Zabel discussed these questions with Dr. Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Sabine Thillaye, Member of the Assemblée Nationale of France. The one-hour webinar covered a range of topics, from the general status of relations to energy policy, security and defence, European sovereignty, industrial policy and cultural differences. You can watch the recorded webinar here (in German):