The rift between the Germans and the French over energy and defense

Relations between France and Germany, which have been strained by the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, need a "reset" to create a stronger alliance between the two largest countries of the European Union (EU), French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said today.

Ties, which have traditionally been the driving force behind broader EU policy initiatives, have run into trouble and the two governments have postponed to January a meeting that had been planned for next Sunday, Reuters reported.

Le Mer, who speaks fluent German and has long-term political contacts in Germany, said that relations are currently "difficult", primarily because the war in Ukraine has encouraged Berlin to turn to Washington, while Paris stands for "European sovereignty". writes Reuters.

And the interruption of gas flow from Russia showed the extent of Germany's dependence and called into question its energy model, while France is taking new initiatives regarding nuclear energy," said Le Mer.

Germany is also struggling to cope with new and tougher business conditions in China, which has long been an "Eldorado" for German industry, the French minister added.

"The war in Ukraine, the gas and energy issue and the China problem must lead us to strategically redefine the relationship between France and Germany," Le Mer said at a business conference.

It would "create a new, possibly stronger alliance by resetting a number of issues," Le Maire said, a day after meeting German finance and economy ministers.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met today on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels and expressed their will to reduce energy prices and preserve European unity, the French presidential palace announced.

French ministers have expressed frustration over what they say is a series of unilateral decisions by Germany, including a 200 billion euro energy package that Berlin announced without warning Paris.

France gets most of its electricity from nuclear power plants and is far less dependent on natural gas than Germany. However, French officials say they are concerned that Germany's 200 billion package could distort the European market because other countries do not have the same means to protect their citizens.

France has angered German officials by opposing a proposal by Germany and Spain to build a new gas pipeline across the Pyrenees to replace supplies from Russia, preferring to focus energy investment on France's nuclear sector.

Germany's decision to acquire weapons systems from the US instead of Europe also did not meet with approval in France.