Why the Franco-German engine that powered the EU is now almost kaput

As they confront a marauding Trump, trade tensions with China and their own upheavals, the bloc’s two biggest countries are at a crossroads

“When France and Germany advance, all Europe advances. When they don’t, it grinds to a halt” was how former French president Jacques Chirac put it almost a quarter of a century ago at one of the periodic love-ins between the EU’s two biggest member states.

So what would Chirac, who died in 2019, make of the current condition of the famed Franco-German engine which, since the bloc’s inception, has powered so much of the postwar European project? It looks not so much faltering as comprehensively bust.

Topics

Why Trump Won the Election---and Why He Now Better Act Quickly

Political analyst Charlie Cook says that the loss of moderating influences in both parties has come with a loss of self-awareness.
The Wall Street Journal - 2d
Why the EU debate on outsourcing solutions for migration is not going away

Also in this newsletter: Poland seizes the moment to push for EU defence spending
Financial Times - 3d
Almost half of Ukrainians now support Trump: Poll

Almost half of Ukrainians now support President-elect Trump as he is set to take the Oval Office next month, according to a poll released on Tuesday. The new national survey, commissioned by New ...
The Hill - 4d
Why radio icon Delilah does almost all her shopping at thrift stores

The ‘queen of sappy love songs,’ who has 8 million listeners, tells MarketWatch she’d rather put her money to use for charitable purposes
MarketWatch - 5d
Why EU countries are freezing Syrian asylum applications

Also in this newsletter: How Rachel Reeves’ pitch to Brussels went down
Financial Times - 5d
Why has this happened now?

Yoon Suk Yeol's move was spurred not by external threats but by his own desperate political troubles.
BBC News - Dec. 4
Why Brussels hopes cracking down on China will also save EU industry

Also in this newsletter: Is EU drug policy fair to poorer states?
Financial Times - Dec. 4
Why the Syrian civil war is reigniting now

Syria's army and its allies are reported to have confronted an attack by forces affiliated with the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in the north of the country. This comes after rebel fighters ...
CBS News - Dec. 3
What is happening in north-western Syria and why now?

Rebels have captured a swathe of land during their largest offensive against the government in years.
BBC News - Dec. 2