Policy Fellow Yann Wernert speaks with Deutsche Welle about the effects of the US Inflation Reduction Act on Franco-German agreement.
Prior to Macron's state visit to the United States, France and Germany agreed on increased industrial policy cooperation in light of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). According to Yann Wernert, this agreement is quite remarkable as "Germany is traditionally keen on protecting free trade, while France is open to more protectionism." He goes on to say that this development "is a good sign for Europe, as there have been clear tensions in Franco-German relations recently." In general, Wernert argues that "Germany now seems to have moved strongly towards France on the IRA issue, recognising that not only economic but also strategic considerations are important for international relations."
In addition to discussing the IRA, Yann Wernert also discusses the traditional Franco-German division on attitudes toward NATO. "In the French press, a certain distance from NATO is often noticeable," he comments. However, "Germany is closer to the US and there is more concern about transatlantic alienation."
Read the full article (in German) here.