Yesterday in true Franco-German fashion, the two countries celebrated 60 years of Elysée Treaty. If I haven't posted anything about it, it's because as a Franco-German myself, I'm truly disappointed with how the relation is going - for years now. Let me tell you why. /1
I've had enough of "dialogue formats" and "cultural encounters". The reality is: The political relationship is strained at best; citizens couldn't care less about their neighbours; there is little funding available for cooperation; less and less people learn the language. /2
The civil society sector is heavily status-quo oriented, & anyone who wants to improve things in the slightest is sidelined. There are signs of hope though, with some 'younger' people doing great work - but it remains rather limited./3
We also have a serious generational problem: Franco-German relations are not sexy at all for young people. I have plenty of examples of how that is the case, but let's continue to pretend that everything is fine by inviting a bunch of young people for pictures. /4
On EU policy, both countries have failed to be the engine they pretend to be in the past years. Yes, there's been the recovery plan, and yes the vaccine procurements. But that's far from enough when you have so many policy fields that require serious progress. /5
Yes, there's been the Aachen Treaty to strengthen relations. But without the people behind it to make it a reality, not much will happen. Let's be honest: Who has heard of the parliamentary assembly and their role? Maybe the experts working on it, at best. /6
You might call me too harsh, but I have had enough of this well-kept illusion. I will probably not be invited to fancy expert rounds after this thread - if I ever had been. I just wish political leaders would stop pretending everything is going great when it's not./7
As I can already see people saying "be more constructive & give your recommendations" - there's been plenty of recommendations out there (e.g. progressives-zentrum.org/die-permakrise…) That said, no one does much work on 🇩🇪🇫🇷 relations these days - lack of funding & "sexiness" again. /8
The main issue remains the lack of political will. It's gotten worse with the pandemic & the war in Ukraine - you can see both countries being more "national" in their thinking, despite governments pretending to be open & pro-European. Both 🇩🇪&🇫🇷 heavily distrust each other./9
It's really time to stop pretending and start mending things. Franco-German relations deserve better than a Sunday clown show. #Rantover #Backtobookwriting /10

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More from @spornschlegel

Aug 29, 2022
After today's meeting marathon, interviews on the Scholz speech & email galore, I guess it's back to business in Brussels!
This GIF shows how it feels to work on EU politics at the moment, but I'm looking forward to working on a bunch of great projects in the coming months. 👇/1
Very much looking forward to welcoming @ThinkTank_Lab in Brussels next week - besides giving a short input on "how to EU policy analysis", my colleague @FilipeALampe is organising an event on #diversity in EU policymaking with @CnctingEurope that I think is hugely important. /2
The @epc_eu also partnered up for the 'European Think Tank Conference' in October in Berlin to promote the exchange between European think tankers and discuss sector-specific issues. Stay tuned for a great programme! @dgapev dgap.org/en/events/save… /3
Read 9 tweets
Aug 29, 2022
As a think tanker, there is a fine balance between speaking truth to power (and, for instance, criticising the lack of ambition in view of the challenges we face) and understanding the position of decision-makers, including the need for compromises & other limiting factors. /1
Today was a good example: I was happy to read #Scholz's EU speech & finally have an outline of Germany's EU policy. I get that it could be much worse - the German government fully understands the need for a strong EU and that's a very good premise. /2
I'm also happy to have further details on certain policy fields and to understand where the focus of this government lies. It's also useful to see that certain fields - e.g. industrial policy - have been left out, which also helps define where it could get more difficult. /3
Read 7 tweets
Jun 1, 2022
📖 New publication 📖
It's been almost 100 days since Russia invaded 🇺🇦. In this new paper, @IlkeToygur & I look back at the EU's "modus operandi". We advocate for a more ambitious EU, rather than one that will put unity above everything else./1
epc.eu/en/Publication…
The last #EUCO summit was a wonderful example of how in the EU unity prevails over ambition. After weeks of blockage, we finally have an oil embargo, but only for 75% of Russian oil, and with a temporary exemption for pipeline oil./2
We start on a positive note: Both the COVID-19 pandemic & the Russian invasion revealed that the EU institutions & leaders are capable of managing crises swiftly and decisively. The EU could use this moment of change to increase its ambition & move European integration forward./3
Read 8 tweets
Apr 11, 2022
After yesterday’s 1st round in the 🇫🇷 election, some takeaways on the campaign, results & what to expect next. A relatively long 🧵, as there is a lot to unpack. /1
First, on the results: 1st round shows Macron as frontrunner. But do not interpret this as a safe win for him in the 2nd round. 33% voted for far-right candidates, 26% for far-left, which brings “extreme” vote in France to over 50% in total. This is worrying. (@lemondefr) /2
2nd round will take place on 24.04. Polls vary between 45:55 & 49:51 for Macron, but it very much depends on Mélenchon voters (22% in 1st round). Several candidates (Pécresse, Hidalgo, Jadot) called for a Macron vote - except Eric Zemmour, who endorsed Le Pen. (@franceinfo) /3
Read 15 tweets
Mar 25, 2022
Amid all the hustle and bustle, it's hard to keep track of what actually happened yesterday in Brussels. Here are some takeaways from the diplomatic showdown (NATO, G7, EUCO) including @POTUS attendance & @ZelenskyyUa speeches. A 🧵 /1
First, HR news: @CharlesMichel was re-elected EUCO President for another 2,5 years; @jensstoltenberg's mandate was extended by a year as NATO Secretary-General. /2 politico.eu/article/charle…
Second, NATO news: NATO agreed on 4 new battlegroups on its "Eastern flank". In total, 40,000 soldiers stationed next to the border. More resources will be spent to prevent cyberattacks & to prepare for potential biological & chemical attacks./3 nato.int/cps/en/natohq/…
Read 13 tweets
Sep 30, 2020
My two cents on the latest EU RoL. I expected to write about the report's content, but ended up doing a political analysis of where we stand - bc in the end, the report can be a brilliant analysis, beautifully written and very thorough, the question is what we do with it. /1
First, let me emphasise that this is a positive development. The European Commission recognises the relevance of Rule of Law, analysing the situation in all EU27. Glass half full, but it could have been different. It is a first step in the right direction. /2
The annual report creates the evidence needed to assess the RoL situation. We already had ample information on some EU MS (heads up to the EP & CoE), but not on all - this EU27 report allows to say “we looked at everyone the same way”. Evidence is always good start for PM. /3
Read 11 tweets

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