Franco‑German relations are widely seen as having taken a hit in recent months, with some commentators pessimistically speaking of a "faltering" of Europe's traditional engine.

France's Minister Delegate for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, says Russia's war in Ukraine, the US realignment away from NATO and Europe and growing trade pressure from China have brought the European Union to a turning point.

He argues that Germany and France must work together to achieve ambitious goals and "avoid fragmentation, redundancies and competition between different projects."