The 1994 initiative of Karl Lamers and Wolfgang Schäuble, suggesting a Franco-German federation with possible Benelux participation, is generally considered to be the starting point for plans under discussion today (see this section yesterday and the day before). At the time, the French authorities did not react, and bilateral relations then went through something of a cooling-off period, before their gradual rebirth over the last few years, which (after some other brave attempts that...