FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONS: Presidemt Jacques Chirac and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said they were "breathing new life into" the 40-year-old Élysée Treaty of Franco-German friendship when they launched two days of anniversary celebrations here yesterday, writes Lara Marlowe, in Paris
For the first time, they held a joint cabinet meeting, attended by 40 ministers. In another first, both men addressed a joint session of their legislatures in the Château at Versailles.
Destiny, history, co-operation, responsibility and Europe were the words heard most often throughout the day. "France and Germany are tied by a common destiny," said a joint declaration by the two governments.
"Our shared future cannot be dissociated from that of the deepened and enlarged European Union. We want to propose to our partners a shared vision of the Europe of tomorrow, and we are determined to undertake all efforts to strengthen this union."
Mr Schröder said he wanted France and Germany "to be the motivator, no longer the motor of Europe". Both men attributed the success of the Copenhagen Summit and enlargement, and the flowering of a European constitution, to their joint initiative. In a comment likely to be of concern to Europe's neutral countries, Mr Chirac said "a Europe capable of acting, including militarily, is necessary for balance in the world".
Based on that conviction, he said, "France and Germany have proposed to the convention the creation of a European Security and Defence Union, which ... would inscribe shared security in the constitutional treaty".
Only Chancellor Schröder spared a thought for the EU's smaller countries, who sometimes fear a Franco-German directoire. Their co-operation was "directed against no one, and attempts in no way to dominate any of our partners", Mr Schröder said. Indeed, he continued, their relationship "serves integration and makes our continent a place of peace and prosperity".
But when a Danish journalist suggested that a recent joint proposal for a dual presidency of Europe might aggravate inequality among EU members, Mr Schröder gaffed.
"From what I have understood it has been well received," he said. "Criticism is natural, but important [he used the German word wichtig] member-states have understood that this was a compromise also for France and Germany." Mr Schröder gave the impression that he accepts playing second fiddle to Mr Chirac - at least in appearance. Three times during their press conference, Mr Schröder deferred to the French leader. When Mr Chirac asked whether he wanted to add to the French summing up on Iraq, Mr Schröder answered in one word, "No".
Mr Chirac eluded a question on a proposal by the EU commissioners for trade and enlargement for union between France and Germany but expatiated on his desire for ever greater co-operation. Then he turned to Mr Schröder. "It is thus," said the Chancellor.
Mr Chirac made argued for resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. When it was his turn to speak, Mr Schröder said only, "What the President has said corresponds to our shared convictions."
Both leaders received standing ovations for their speeches to the joint session of 577 National Assembly deputies and 603 members of the Bundestag. They appeared to have had the same speech writers, for both evoked past wars and the unfortunate precedents of Versailles. (Bismarck proclaimed the Reich there, and the eponymous treaty is blamed for the second World War).
Henceforward, Mr Chirac noted: "Versailles shall symbolise fraternity between Germany and France, and beyond, that of our entire continent."
