Franco-German Woes

It is in India’s abiding interest that Europe remains united in the face of multiple strategic challenges it faces. And the key to EU unity obviously lies in Franco-German cooperation. Against this background, it is somewhat disconcerting that Germany and France have had a falling out recently. Thus, both countries have decided to put off their much vaunted joint ministerial meeting. German Chancellor Scholz has also decided that he will travel to Beijing alone and not with French President Macron. He will also take a huge business delegation with him to China, which should make the latter happy. Last week, Chancellor Scholz signed off on the purchase by a Chinese firm COSCO of a 25 per cent stake in a Hamburg port terminal. Are these tell tale signs of serious differences between EU’s two major powers or are these mere bumps on the road? Only time will tell. Either way, it bears watching.