Sunday
Feb072010
Europe Inside Line: A New Co-operation for France and Germany
Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 7:27 
New EA correspondent Aysegül Er offers this report on events in Europe:On Thursday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, meeting in Paris, put forth a ten-year blueprint for political and economical cooperation. The blueprint complements and extends a security cooperation which has been marked for 20 years by regular meetings of the Franco-German Defense and Security Council and an economic relationship in which bilateral trade reached €137.3 billion ($187 billion) in 2008.
The new cooperation covers diplomatic policy, security, defense coordination, economic and fiscal initiatives, environment protection, and biological diversity. Technological concerns also have emerged in initiatives such as a cross-border electro-mobility program for electric cars, joint bureaus dedicated to renewable energy, and aeronautic co-operation.
Sarkozy offered this explanation for the measures, "The financial crisis forced us to understand each other better ... Now we have decided to take it to another level." Sarkozy added that France and Germany will contribute to the European Union’s common policy for improvement of economical conditions through this cooperation. A French official added that the two countries would extend their the cooperation to exchanges between companies as well as between employers and unions.
Merkel argued that developed countries should promote this type of co-operation by taking responsibility for sustainable growth, "We do everything to implement sustainable development and to include the principle of sustainability as a guideline of our common shares.”
Merkel and Sarkozy went beyond their countries to talk about budget stability of in the Euro-zone, mentioning debt crises in locations like Greece and Portugal. They argued that these countries should avoid such problems, both for the stability of their domestic situation and for the progress of the European economy.
The French and German leaders also announced a military step with the production of the A400M "transformed plane". The A400M is the first truly new military transport aircraft in more than 30 years, with twice the capacity and twice the payload of current models. It will be Europe’s biggest defense programme.
Reader Comments (15)
Thanks to Aysegül for this exhaustive synopsis of new Franco-German cooperation plans. German TV and media however were more prudent with their assessments, stressing the fact that Sarkozy was pushing and Merkel retaining.
According to Stern magazine this intensified economic and military cooperation is a reaction to China's and India's growing economic influence, but also an essay to demonstrate strength in foreign affairs in reaction to respective domestic mischiefs. Obviously Nicolas Sarkozy intends to boost European projects and openly declared the Franco-German leadership, but Angela Merkel remained skeptical, especially because of financial and economic problems. As Sarkozy's plan to set up a new treaty of friendship was discarded, and Germany's aspirations to become a member of the security council remain unfulfilled, the general atmosphere of this meeting has been correctly described as "perfect harmony" ;-)
http://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/agenda-2020-merkel-und-sarkozy-in-perfekter-harmonie-1541187.html
"Merkel and Sarkozy went beyond their countries to talk about budget stability of in the Euro-zone, mentioning debt crises in locations like Greece and Portugal. They argued that these countries should avoid such problems, both for the stability of their domestic situation and for the progress of the European economy."
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I guess a bailout is out of the question then.
My sarko is the best, a true learder who knows how taking decisions to rule France and Europe; at the beginning of his mandat, when he was leading Europe as president, he summonded all the presidents of the countries in Europe to resolve the problems caused by financial crisis due to mismanagement of US banks and he found the solutions; Sarkozy and Merkel work in total harmony; three days ago they also spoke about the bank's accounts of defrauders abroad.
"...three days ago they also spoke about the bank’s accounts of defrauders abroad."
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This dynamic duo are ruthless. 3,000 Germans move to Switzerland every month.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,613990,00.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/german-brain-drain-at-highest-level-since-1940s-451250.html
Dave
If I were wealthy, I would be very "proud" to pay taxes on my wealth to help my country because poor people can't; infortunately rich people are not able to understand this, for them money is more important, it's not normal !
and don't forget you don't pay more than 50% thanks to "bouclier fiscal" "tax shield" .
I traveled to Europe 5 times (between 1981 and 1994) in my childhood. As a teenager, the thing that struck me on my last two trips ('90 and '94) was the poverty I saw. Social welfare states have not succeeded in eliminating poverty and homelessness. I lived in Canterbury, England for 6 months and saw homeless people sleeping in front of the shops on the town's high street at night. At least the Soviet Union housed all of its citizens and kept them employed. I didn't see homeless people in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Dave
The economic syst. of those two countries is very different compare to others; they are specialized in worldwide wealth management, as Monaco , its economy is based on the "Casinos" and management of money too ; and it's only ,free money come out of the blue , without any other talents ( in industry for exemple); they are like countries having natural wealth (oil, gas..diamants !), or anyone who has received an inheritance; life in all the countries is very difficult, it's "metro, boulot dodo", especially during economic crisis ; in 90 to 94 when you were in Europe, it was a period of crisis as well, first war in Irak , real estate and stock market crisis; I think poverty and homelessness are due to globalization, but it's the first step of it, in the next step , thanks to economic growth in each country we could see the majority of the homeless coming back in the social and economic systeme. I hope !
"....they are like countries having natural wealth (oil, gas..diamants !), or anyone who has received an inheritance"
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This is not true at all. You can't discount the watch industry, biotechnology (of which Switzerland is a giant), information technology, engineering, etc.
http://www.swiss.org.tw/trade/industries.htm
in 90 to 94 when you were in Europe, it was a period of crisis as well, first war in Irak , real estate and stock market crisis; I think poverty and homelessness are due to globalization, but it’s the first step of it, in the next step , thanks to economic growth in each country we could see the majority of the homeless coming back in the social and economic systeme. I hope !
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It hasn't changed.
If they only lived with the outcome of their industry, we could also see lots of homeless and poverty there!
Being a "paradis fiscal", "tax heaven" is a gift for their well being ! yes there is no poors in switzerland !
#11 : "it hasn't changed" ! no, you are right because we are again in period of crisis and what's more , the globalization is also into the game, it's worse . I think , all the countries have not reached their balance with this new factor of economy. For a simple "yes" or "no", they close the factory to go to China or to North Africa,or Turkey where the cost of workers is low and the employees are laid off and some of them without job during long time, 2-3 years become homless because they can't pay the rent of their house or flat and so on ..
It could be too long my explaination, but trust me, all the countries that are the "tax heaven", are very lucky !
"If they only lived with the outcome of their industry, we could also see lots of homeless and poverty there!"
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That's not true. Switzerland's economy and infrastructure rivals its neighbors. You are right in stating that globalisation has failed to reduce poverty.
"Sigh…. nor have capitalist ones…."
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True indeed.