At the Munich Security Conference, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to deepen European defense integration. Yet recent procurement decisions – still largely shaped by national industrial interests – sit uneasily with the rhetoric.
By Gabriel Bub
After months of arduous negotiations, the approval of France’s national budget on Monday evening has granted President Emmanuel Macron a brief – if fragile – window of political stability, brokered by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
By Claire Stam
Disagreements among member states over “Buy European” clauses in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) are deepening, as French demands exacerbate the divide between countries with and without a strong industrial base.
By János Allenbach-Ammann
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s stance against an independent European defense strategy has met with strong criticism. Politicians accuse him of relying too much on the US and devaluing European sovereignty.
By Stephan Israel
France’s minority government survived two motions of no confidence following a controversial budget procedure. The motions from the right-wing nationalists and the left failed to gain a majority in the National Assembly.
By Redaktion Table
Representatives from ten countries are meeting in Hamburg to announce plans for the expansion of offshore wind energy. With more cooperation and better financing, they want to get the sector’s faltering growth back on track.
By Manuel Berkel
This week is all about Franco-German friendship, as Thursday marked the 63rd anniversary of the Élysée Treaty. With regard to Africa, the key question is how sustainable this relationship remains amid an ongoing realignment.
By David Renke and Lucia Weiß
According to the latest estimates, greenhouse gas emissions in France fell by 1.6% in 2025 – significantly less than the 4.6% required annually to achieve the country’s 2030 climate targets. To reverse this trend, the government is now increasingly focusing on electrification.
By Claire Stam
Former Liberal (FDP) member of the German parliament, Sandra Weeser, chaired the working group on foreign and security policy in the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly. On Franco-German Friendship Day on Jan. 22, she will call for a sense of responsibility from Paris and Berlin.
By Sandra Weeser
There are enough start-ups, but they are not growing sufficiently. A Franco-German task force and members of the European Parliament are calling for Europe to tackle investment conditions. One proposal is a 28th regime.
By Corinna Visser
