France and the Deepening of the Eurozone: Is There a Way for Franco-German Convergence?
France and the Deepening of the Eurozone: Is There a Way for Franco-German Convergence?

Author(s): Yann-Sven Rittelmeyer
Subject(s): Governance, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Geopolitics
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: France; European Union; Eurozone; French-German relations; support of the EU Member States;
Summary/Abstract: François Hollande’s election to president in May 2012 raised fears about a difficult relationship with Germany that could hamper the evolution of the European project at a time when deeper integration—especially of the eurozone—has been widely identified as the best way to overcome the economic crisis. A possible breakdown of the Franco-German motor is seen with anxiety. The tensions and risks associated with this new political configuration feed discourses about the strain on the Franco-German relationship. Since the new French president took office, the bilateral relationship has indeed proved confrontational. Nevertheless, France and Germany have generally been able to aggregate more easily the support of other EU Member States when they had diverging starting points and only afterwards reached agreement. Initial disagreements are not particularly worrying, the most important being to reach a compromise at some point.

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