2022---franco-german-couple---it-s-largely-a-myth---says-nicolas-baverez -

Baverez and other analysts point to several "fault lines" that shattered the facade of unity:

: Germany has remained an industrial powerhouse, whereas Baverez argues France has suffered from a lack of structural reform and a widening deficit. 3. A Relationship of "Interests," Not "Love" Baverez and other analysts point to several "fault

: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced Germany to abandon its cheap gas model, leading Berlin to act unilaterally to secure its energy interests, often at the expense of European partners. : France uses the rhetoric of the "couple"

: France uses the rhetoric of the "couple" to mask its own economic and political decline, similar to how the UK leans on its "special relationship" with the U.S.. Experts often reframe the relationship not as a

In October 2022, French historian and essayist famously declared that the "Franco-German couple" is largely a myth . His critique emerged during a period of open crisis between Paris and Berlin, fueled by the war in Ukraine and diverging energy and defense strategies.

Experts often reframe the relationship not as a "marriage" but as a functional engine or a "duo-duel". Powering up Europe: New drive for the Franco-German engine