Introductory Visit in Berlin
BERLIN/PARIS (Own report) - With his introductory visit to Berlin on Monday, the French presidential candidate Alain Juppé has begun preparing his candidature for the 2017 elections. Whereas his rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, had not left a particularly good impression during his talks in the German capital, Alain Juppé, following his meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel und his talk with business representatives, is being highly praised in Germany. Juppé, who has announced budget cuts of from 80 to 100 billion Euros and a drastic reduction of public service jobs, "is one of the few politicians, who has a plan and takes a stand," according to the Director General of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Another business manager is quoted with his condescending statement, "Juppé could even be a minister in Germany." Already in the last presidential election campaign, President Sarkozy's party had formulated its election platform in coordination with Germany's CDU. Sarkozy was ostentatiously seeking information on the "Agenda 2010" from the German Chancellor at the time, Gerhard Schröder. In bowing to Germany's austerity dictate, Paris was hoping to play a leading role in the EU's foreign and military policy. Those hopes, however, are deceptive. As one can read in the German media, "Paris' traditional spheres of influence, for example in West Africa, should no longer be left up to France."
No Champion of Reform
Alain Juppé is the second French presidential candidate to pay respects to Chancellor Angela Merkel in a short time. Already on June 21, former President Nicolas Sarkozy came to Berlin to discuss his political projects with the Chancellor. The "European project" needs to be re-launched "every 20 to 30 years," Sarkozy declared, and Merkel told him that she is "ready" to elaborate "a new European treaty" with Paris. Details were not made known except that Sarkozy had declared that the elaboration of an EU immigration policy must be the responsibility of a "government" of EU interior ministers. However, one should avoid the mistake of having the population decide on "new European treaty" in a referendum.[1] Following his talks with Merkel, Sarkozy presented his plans at the CDU Economic Conference. According to the French press, the former President did not leave a good impression in Berlin. Merkel did not get the impression that he was a "champion of reform" and the Chancellor was also "disappointed" at his suggestions on the EU's asylum policy.[2]
Germany is Right
With Alain Juppé, it was quite different. The former Prime, Foreign and Defense Minister, who appears to be the favorite in next spring's presidential elections, is, according to recent polls, the only candidate, who could defeat Front National (FN) Chair, Marine le Pen, already in the first round. He presented his standpoint in an interview in a leading German daily. He believes that the current tensions between Paris and Berlin can clearly be attributed to the French side - Juppé spoke of a "loss of confidence." According to the presidential candidate, "it is normal that Germany has begun to have doubts about our capacity to undertake structural reforms. ... I plan to reestablish credibility, by implementing the reforms that our country has been postponing too long."[3] "Reforms" mean the austerity measures Berlin has imposed, in principle, on the entire EU and against which the French population has been vigorously rebelling. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[4]) Juppé is also promoting a massive increase in the French defense budget - by seven billion Euros over the next five years - while "welcoming" identical announcements by the German government.
"Courageous and Exemplary"
Yesterday, Monday, both the Chancellor and German business representatives had been very satisfied with Juppé. Already beforehand, it had been reported that Merkel preferred him to Sarkozy.[5] The French press reported on the lavish praise the presidential candidate received following his talks with the Chancellor and his appearance at the CDU's Economic Council. Juppé is said to have declared that Germany has practically "returned to full employment" and then asked why has France lagged behind. He announced, as a solution, budget cuts of 80 - 100 billion Euros, a possible reduction of 50 percent of the public service jobs that will be vacated and made a case for raising the age of retirement. "He is one of the few politicians, who has a plan and takes a stand" Markus Kerber, Director-General of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), is quoted to have said. "He is courageous and exemplary." Juppé is "very professional and proposes good remedies," assessed Andreas Krautscheid, a member of the Senior Management Board of the Association of German Banks (BdB), "the key question" is "whether the climate is rough enough for a majority of the French to swallow the bitter pill to support him." The French press quotes the condescending praise lavished by a German manager: "Juppé could even be a minister in Germany."[6]
German Model
The conservative French presidential candidates' introductory visits to Berlin are indicative of power relations in the EU, however, they are not new. A similar process could be observed during France's 2012 presidential elections. In October 2011, for example, Nicolas Sarkozy, French President, at the time, sent a delegation of his UMP party to Berlin to work on the UMP's election platform with representatives of the CDU. Following subsequent delegation visits, with the participation of France's Minister of Agriculture, Bruno le Maire, who was also in charge of formulating the election platform, Hermann Gröhe, CDU General Secretary, stated January 28, 2012 in Paris that "the meetings with Minister Le Maire led to an intensive exchange of ideas with the CDU on the 'Project 2012' - your election platform," The UMP can "be proud of the results."[7] In December 2011, only a few months before the elections, President Sarkozy had even invited former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) to the Elysée Palace for consultations on Germany's "Agenda 2010." This was an obvious indication of his willingness to accept the German austerity model.[8]
"Don't Leave it up to France"
While prepared to bow to the German austerity dictate, Juppé is hoping, in the long run, to make up for the loss of power through gains in foreign and military policy - a traditional French domain. He is demanding an expansion of the intelligence service cooperation between Berlin and Paris and an intensification of military attacks against the "Islamic State" (IS/Daesh) in Syria and Iraq - military operations "we must continue," he declared.[9] However, the example of the interventions in West Africa - a traditional French sphere of influence - show that Berlin is not ready to bow to Paris on foreign policy, in return for France's adoption of the German-inspired austerity policy. For quite some time, Germany has been systematically expanding its military activities in Mali.[10] Using the situation of an EU intervention in Niger ("EUCAP Sahel Niger"), Berlin is also focusing more on that country, up to now under Paris' neo-colonial control. In early May, during the joint visit with his French counterpart in Niamey German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was made "to feel" that "Germany should not simply leave Africa to France."[11] At the occasion of his visit in Berlin in mid-June, Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou declared "we really have excellent relations between Niger and Germany."[12] Merkel in turn announced that Germany will expand its activities in Niger. Already in late 2013, Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta declared in Berlin that Germany and, not France, is for him "the most important partner country."[13] The German intention of pushing France into the background - also in the foreign policy domain - is evident.
[1] Merkel "prête" à un nouveau traité (Sarkozy). www.lefigaro.fr 21.06.2016.
[2] Thibaut Madelin: A Berlin, Juppé en terrain conquis. www.lesechos.fr 18.07.2016.
[3] "Frankreich muss durch Reformen wieder glaubwürdig werden". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 18.07.2016.
[4] See The Price of Deregulation.
[5] Thomas Schnee: Alain Juppé, le chouchou d'Angela Merkel? www.liberation.fr 17.07.2016.
[6] Thibaut Madelin: A Berlin, Juppé en terrain conquis. www.lesechos.fr 18.07.2016.
[7] See Sarkozy, the German.
[8] See Le Modèle Gerhard Schröder.
[9] "Frankreich muss durch Reformen wieder glaubwürdig werden". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 18.07.2016.
[10] See Ein neuer Schwerpunkt in Afrika and Wie in Afghanistan (II).
[11] Majid Sattar: Auf der Suche nach der afrikanischen Türkei. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 04.05.2016.
[12] Pressekonferenz von Bundeskanzlerin Merkel und dem Staatspräsidenten der Republik Niger, Issoufou am 17. Juni 2016 in Berlin.
[13] See Deutschland 001.
