Germany and France plan to boost European defence, security and the economy, according to statements that came at the close of a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and government consultations near Berlin.
Amid an altered security situation in Europe, France and Germany plan to strengthen European defence capabilities.
“The European Union must become a true geopolitical player and guarantor of security that can respond to today’s security challenges and strengthen the international order,” the Franco-German Defence and Security Council said on Tuesday.
They issued a paper calling for better and faster defence production in Europe. “By strengthening the European defence technological and industrial base, we will increase our overall defence readiness and provide capabilities that meet our needs and requirements in the face of increasing threats and security challenges,” the council said.
Stronger and more capable European defence will make a positive contribution to global and transatlantic security, the paper said.
It also pointed to “the central importance of nuclear deterrence for the security of Europe and NATO as well as the deterrent role of the independent French strategic nuclear forces and their essential contribution to the security of the Alliance as a whole.”
France and Germany advocate a mix of nuclear, conventional and missile defence capabilities, complemented by space and cyber capabilities.
They also reaffirmed their intention to enter into “long-term, comprehensive and inclusive cooperation with partners in the field of long-range weapons.”
Support for Ukraine
Germany and France want the major Western industrialized nations to provide further billions in aid for Ukraine, Scholz said at the consultations.
The possibility of using interest income from the frozen assets of the Russian central bank was being examined, he said at Meseberg Palace.
“We want to give Ukraine access to billions in additional funding so that it can reliably provide its defence and thus further increase the security of the whole of Europe,” Scholz said.
Boost economy
The two also seek reforms to boost economic growth in Europe, calling for more innovation, more investment, less bureaucracy and fairer competitive conditions.
“Europe will need a new economic dynamic over the next five years,” they warn in a paper adopted at the gathering near Berlin.
The European Commission estimates that additional private and public investment of more than €620 billion ($670 billion) per year is needed for climate neutrality and energy policy projects.
Germany and France seek targeted support for European companies in strategic industries including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, aerospace, biotechnology, robotics and chemicals.
They also said the EU must provide adequate support for national investments in the green and digital transition, competitiveness and strategic sovereignty.
More optimism
Earlier, Macron called for more optimism and drive in Europe. “I believe we need to be more optimistic,” he said in an acceptance speech after receiving the International Award of the Peace of Westphalia.
“Being optimistic as Europeans means being sure that Europe is the right answer.” This refers to the major current challenges such as the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and the threat to democracy.
“We are too divided, too slow and too timid in Europe, that is the reality,” said Macron. The EU needs to simplify processes, act faster and invest more, he said. Europeans need to join forces on security and defence and establish joint armed forces, according to Macron.
The European states would also only have a chance of overcoming the climate crisis and developing future technologies and artificial intelligence together and not on their own, also in the face of competition from China and the United States, he said.
Highlights of three-day visit
Macron commemorated victims of the Holocaust in Berlin on Monday during the second day of his official state visit to Germany.
Along with Steinmeier, the French president visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building in the heart of Berlin’s government district.
He gave a well-received major policy speech in Dresden on Monday evening in which he called for a sovereign Europe.
Macron called for Europe to defend its values of peace, prosperity and democracy.
Speaking alternately in French and German in front of the city’s Church of Our Lady, Macron called for a strong and sovereign Europe. “We have to retrieve the strength, and the engagement to defend (Europe) everywhere,” he said.
