• English Site
• > Europe

Merkel and the Franco-German Relationship

Sarkozy Relies on Past to Escape Present Troubles

By SPIEGEL Staff

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Paris on Wednesday to mark the 91st anniversary of the end of World War I. The event is exactly what French President Nicolas Sarkozy needed to deflect attention away from a growing list of negative headlines.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has never been one to shy away from the grand gesture. Indeed, his reign in the Élysée Palace has often seemed marked by a constant search for headlines, respect and a way to leave his historical mark.

This week, the past presented him with yet another opportunity. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Paris to help mark the 91st anniversary of the end of World War I. But this year, the celebration was a little bit different. With the last of the French World War I veterans having died in the past year, Sarkozy could no longer follow the tradition of appearing together with the aged fighters at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe. Instead, Sarkozy received Merkel at the site -- the first time ever that a German head of government was given such an honor.

It was exactly the kind of opportunity Sarkozy was looking for to once again thrust himself into the limelight as the embodiment of Franco-German relations -- as a strong president furthering the interests of a united Europe. And he seemed intent on not letting the occasion go to waste. A gaggle of French and German schoolchildren was on hand for the pre-noon gala, as was an honor guard, complete with impeccably pressed uniforms and fluttering flags. Amid the grand display, it was easy to forget that the Élysée mistakenly listed the title of the German national anthem as "Deutschland Über Alles" ("Germany Above All"), even though the song was never called that and the verse containing those lyrics was dropped after World War II.

Rift in His Own Cabinet

For Sarkozy, the event also provided a convenient distraction. Halfway through his five-year term in office, Sarkozy is once again fighting disappointing poll numbers, with 60 percent of his countrymen disapproving of the job he is doing. Furthermore, the French president is facing a number of embarrassing problems at home, such as a scandal involving his plan to install his son Jean in a lucrative position as head of the La Defense business park in Paris. Sarkozy is also facing a revolt of parliamentarians from his own party against plans to reform the country's business tax system. And his efforts to push through an economic stimulus program have created a rift within his own cabinet.

The slew of events marking historical milestones could not have come at a better time. Sarkozy, of course, did not play a leading role in the celebrations to mark 20 years since the fall of the Wall in Berlin on Monday. But it allowed him a spot on the stage with heads of state and government from around Europe and with luminous leaders from the past.

But even Sarkozy's appearance in Berlin quickly became overshadowed by embarrassment. On the French president's Facebook page, a picture was posted depicting Sarkozy, hammer in hand, pounding away at the Berlin Wall, the caption indicating that he had been present in Berlin on that historic Nov. 9 two decades ago. Before long, a small army of doubters emerged -- bloggers, eyewitnesses, party allies and even the French prime minister -- all questioning the Sarkozy version of events.

From Reconciliation to Friendship

On Wednesday, however, Sarkozy was once again in the center of the spotlight, speaking of the "path from war to peace" and proclaiming that "together, we can achieve great things." Merkel, for her part, spoke of the "reconciliation that developed into friendship" and of the European and trans-Atlantic issues facing the German-French partnership.

The event once again showed the strength of a Franco-German relationship that wasn't always as warm as it is today. For years after the end of World War II, French leaders regarded their German counterparts with a degree of suspicion born out of two devastating world wars fought within just 30 years. In 1963, French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed a treaty of friendship in the Élysée Palace.

Warmth came later. Indeed, it is the image of Chancellor Helmut Kohl and French President Francois Mitterand, hand-in-hand at the Verdun battlefield, which marked a turning point in Franco-German relations, one which paved the way to the genuine partnership of today. "I love Angela Merkel," Sarkozy once said.

On Wednesday, Merkel gave her reply. "Vive l'amitié franco-allemande!" she concluded, in almost accent-free French.

With reporting by Stefan Simons in Paris