When Europe's Franco-German engine sputters

The EU's tandem no longer sees eye to eye on almost every critical policy decision for the continent

When France and Germany do not get along, the European Union is in difficulty; the so-called "Franco-German motor" has driven most EU projects for decades.

The French and the Germans are the EU's biggest nations and biggest economies. The rule of thumb in the bloc is that if France and Germany agree, almost everything can be done, but if one of them disagrees on a particular topic, nothing can be accomplished.

But now, with the EU needing the leadership of both, right as the continent is facing its biggest security crisis since the end of World War II, the Franco-German engine is sputtering. Personal relations between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remain cordial. However, on almost every critical policy decision for the continent - from the war in Ukraine to tackling Europe's energy shortages, to the looming financial crisis or relations with the United States and China the EU's tandem no longer sees eye to eye.

The disputes between the two are now so acute that the annual summit of the French and German Cabinets scheduled to take place at the end of October had to be postponed since the authorities in both Berlin and Paris accepted that, in the absence of any prospect of reaching agreements, it was better not to rehash all their differences.

This is hardly the first time relations between the two have gone through a bad patch; like most long-married couples, the French and the Germans have had their ups and downs, yet always succeeded in bouncing back and often emerged strengthened in their relationship. Nonetheless, there is a feeling throughout Europe that the current spats between Germany and France are of a different nature and may have more to do with the profound changes now impacting Europe.