Las the rancoGerman di orce spoil e erything

Angela Merkel would become or Nicolas Sarkozy that Margaret Thatcher was to rançois Mitterrand: "madame Non" On all international, European, economic issues, the two leaders are wary, ace, oppose. The ranco-German, intimate relationship since the end o the war, turned to the ranc di orce. And this breach o the historic couple se erely bitter European operation which he was, like it or not, the real single engine since 1958. But it also weakens the initiati es o the Union where, on the contrary, it would be the "European time", with a George w. Bush on the departure and a inancial crisis, to make brie , disquali ies the anglo-saxon capitalism or the Rhine capitalism. Las, the ranco-German di orce spoil e erything.

The creation o the Union or the Mediterranean and the treatment o the crisis in Georgia showed great day di ergence o interests. On the irst topic, the rance was brow, or, it is true, ha e played too personal. On the second, the Germany arranged directly its particular and gas, relationship with Moscow. On the inancial crisis, the disagreement has been acute since the beginning. Angela Merkel has quickly, and as instincti ely took the head o the resistance to the acti ism o Nicolas Sarkozy, rom be ore that it takes the Presidency o the Union, in June. Strengthening the role and Presidency o the Eurogroup, plan to rescue the banks, de inition o the common position to the g-20: on all occasions, the couple was derailed, while the rance is correct.

The ault lies, o course, irst to the bad manners o the rench President. It's coming without caring to display its will. Hitting the wall, it mo es back. This hinders not, proceeds in the same way or all the internal re orms, the weakness o the PS and unions allow him to maintain control o the return game that suits him. But, o course, it is not the case with a country like the Germany, which cannot admit to be so mistreated.

Beyond that, what also eels the Germany in Nicolas Sarkozy, is a real lack o attraction on the occasion in a "tripal anti-germanisme." The rench President is more anglo than germano, culture and instinct.

inally, and to complete deconstruction, the East German engineer Merkel, little cheeky and applied, and the human political rench Sarkozy, media and readily ranchouillard, ha e no hooked atom. Scenes o reconciliation, their communication ser ice imposed upon them rom time to time, always turning miserably inegar.

But in truth, the di orce between the Germany and the rance goes back beyond politicians now in power. It dates rom German reconciliation. Since then, there has been "a process o distance", as the alls rightly Jacques-Pierre Gougeon, in a note to the oundation or European progressi e studies, cited by Thomas erenczi's "world".

The Germany, who has made hundreds o billions o marks and euros in its "new Länder", considered, in sum, had its poor at home and should more ask him to help others, the European partners. Berlin, which remains the largest net contributor to EU balks on each new cheque, or each new initiati e, starting with those still expensi e rench. This is not, not yet, "I want my money back" o magic, but the Germany has become reluctant to each ederal ad ance because she ears that he is asked to pay. This is a re olution in Europe. This Germanic anti- édéral shi t is not said, denied, but it is real. It was elt or the irst time at the Summit o Nice (December 2000), where Berlin has required its air share o power, it has strengthened since, accentuated e en at this moment by political struggles within the one year o the election coalition.

Too bad, say some, adding: Gordon Brown, Eurosceptic notorious, is close to the Union since to occupy 10 Downing Street. Alliances wind re ol es. alse hope: the couple rance-Germany, 50 o European GDP and one-third o the inhabitants, is the essential axis, whose di orce was arrested Europe.