A ‘New Chapter’ in Franco-German Cooperation
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron met August 29 for a Franco-German Ministerial Council in Toulon. The joint meeting was meant to showcase the close relationship between the two countries.
They discussed eight strategic concepts and 20 flagship projects, mostly focused on preparing their militaries for battle. Their rivalry once divided Europe in centuries of conflict, but the two nations now aim to consolidate their power to help shape a unified European superpower.
On the day of the meeting, Macron called the talks a “turning point”:
When France and Germany decide to move forward together, the rhythm of the whole of Europe changes.
Today in Toulon, we will lay eight cornerstones for building the future. We will adopt eight strategic documents and launch more than 20 key projects.
This Franco-German Ministerial Council is no ordinary meeting: It marks the culmination of months of joint work and the beginning of a new dynamic.
Industry, decarbonization, technology, space, quantum research, artificial intelligence, finance and even defense—in all these areas, we will launch concrete, forward-looking projects, with dates already set for next month, in order to move forward without interruption. …
It is not only our friendship that is being reaffirmed today in Toulon. It is a new European course that is being set.
That is why this Franco-German Ministerial Council is a turning point. A turning point that France and Germany have chosen together—for their peoples and for Europe.
The meeting took place at Fort de Brégançon, Macron’s summer residence off the French Mediterranean coast, which has long served as a military site and briefly fell under German control during World War ii. Spiegel described the visit as “a rare honor,” noting that before Merz, only two German chancellors had been hosted there.
Franco-German relations have cooled in recent years. But with the new German government comes “a new chapter.”
And I believe that the Franco-German tandem is now perfectly aligned to create a stronger Europe in the areas of economy, trade and currency, but also to create a Europe that asserts its geopolitical position in the Ukraine conflict in the face of the war of aggression started by Russia, and a Europe that faces these challenges and has decided to rearm itself to ensure its protection.
—Emmanuel Macron
Merz and Macron agreed at the council to start a “strategic dialogue” on nuclear deterrence. In a joint statement, they said that this was “a cornerstone of nato’s security.”
“We will discuss in the necessary confidentiality how we can increasingly ensure Europe’s security on our own,” Merz said at a joint press conference after the meeting. Germany and France want to discuss “joint approaches to deterrence issues.” “This is not a substitute for nato, but it strengthens the European part of nato,” he added.
“At the end of the day, it is clear that the ‘Merzcron’ duo is a far cry from the cold mutual suspicion between [former German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz and the French president,” Deutsche Welle wrote. “But all the hugging and backslapping can’t erase the fact that Paris and Berlin still have fundamentally different national interests.”
One of their biggest challenges is agreeing on how to proceed with the ambitious Future Combat Air System project, which includes a sixth-generation fighter jet capable of deploying nuclear weapons. In recent years, the project, in which Spain is also heavily involved, has been delayed by various disputes over how to divide industrial responsibilities—with France insisting on largely dominating the project.
With a projected cost of €100 billion (us$116.6 billion), the project is the most expensive defense project in Europe. Like the Main Ground Combat System, also spearheaded by Germany and France, the Future Combat Air System is envisioned as a true “system of systems” for Europe—integrating both manned and unmanned aerial platforms.
The fact that France and Germany failed to get the project moving, combined with the fact that the joint cabinet meeting was more show than substance, left some disappointed. Uniting all the disparate elements of this ambitious endeavor seems as challenging as trying to fuse iron with clay.
Indeed, the Bible forecast this exact state of affairs. Daniel 2 describes a succession of empires, each rising to surpass the previous in power and military might. Yet the final and most formidable empire is depicted as 10 toes—a mixture of iron and clay—symbolizing 10 rulers divided between east and west and marked by disunity.
The companion chapter in Revelation 17 shows that these leaders will unite in a time of crisis under an overarching authority. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (verses 12-13).
When the crisis hits, these leaders will put aside their disputes to surrender their power to an overarching leader—undoubtedly a German. (Read A Strong German Leader Is Imminent.)
This is why we closely watch the Franco-German alliance. While they may continue to dispute the details, Merz and Macron are committed to creating a European superstate, or empire. But as Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned: “European history has many instances of people trying to establish a European empire: Charlemagne, Napoleon, Adolf Hitler and others. These were all terrifyingly bloody times in Europe!”
The Franco-German alliance provides the blueprint for a militarily united Europe that the Bible prophesied about thousands of years ago. To learn more, read “France’s Deadly Ignorance About Germany.”