“Franco-German friendship is a strength for the continent”, said French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who was in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday 5 February. So when the two countries disagree on issues as important as free trade agreements (FTAs), the rest of the continent suffers.
“Negotiations between the EU and Mercosur have been going on for more than twenty years, so it’s about time they were concluded”, said Mr Scholz at a joint press conference. In his view, these agreements carry great geostrategic weight. “We cannot say that the influence of certain countries is increasing without finding solutions to improve trade relations”, he said.
Gabriel Attal reiterated the line taken by French President Emmanuel Macron, namely that the conditions for concluding negotiations on the agreement have not been met. “It is not a question of opposing all trade agreements,” he added, referring to CETA as an example of a positive agreement.
“It may happen that we disagree on certain issues, but we accept and acknowledge that, it’s part of the dialogue we have”, concluded the French Prime Minister. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)