French National Assembly president Richard Ferrand (pictured above) said Monday the chamber had approved the combined Franco-German parliamentary body conceived in January in Aachen — despite objections from France's radical left and far right.

"Building such a unique parliamentary institution is a sign of the intensity of our relationship," said Ferrand, referring to Paris' and Berlin's renewal in Aachen in January of the Elysee Treaty, their 1963 post-war reconciliation pact.

Still awaited is the German Bundestag approval of the new body, expected when Berlin votes to ratify the new Treaty of Aachen.

The assembly would meet twice a year, would comprise 100 members — drawing 50 parliamentarians from each assembly — and would be able to propose, but not dictate, joint resolutions to the National Assembly and Bundestag. 

Little in common?

In French parliamentary circles, radical leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon argued that France had more in common with southern Europe than with Germany.

The "idea that everything is run by two countries" [Germany and France] went against the interests of other European countries, said Melenchon, referring to Europe's past strains over euro zone crises, immigration and Brexit.

The 16-page Aachen Treaty, although short of detail, also commits Berlin and Paris to closer foreign policy and defense ties, promotion of French-German city twinning projects, cross-border academic titles and language acquisition.

ipj/aw (dpa, AFP)