I haven´t covered in a very long time European-related topics, and I still need more time to update some of my previous information in this field. However, the constant flux of news regarding the current situation in Europe, especially the impact of the war in Ukraine on the everyday life of European citizens - particularly the recent security threats and cybersecurity risks - forced me to speed up a bit the process.
But as I was listening tonight to the very interesting remarks of the participants to the Freedom Tech Forum generously hosted by the Embassy of France in Germany, I realized that although the risks are different compared to let´s say, ten years ago, the stage of the discussion - a stronger French-German European engine, the punctual collaboration in the field of defense, the regrets of the unachieved project of a European Army - is turning in the same circles.
Politically, the cards never been better for the franco-german collaboration: the current German chancellor has strong French afinities, including geographically and president Macron wants a stronger French presence in Europe which cannot achieved without the German support. Since the Toulon Summit this August, a couple of initiatives are ongoing or further supported, particularly in the field of defense and cybersecurity. Germany, whose economy is going through a pronounced decline for a couple of years already, with the car industry being unable to compete with the world economic trends, particularly Made in China, in need of a reorientation that the defense industry can provide generously. Next week, Macron will be in Berlin to participate to a bilateral summit dedicated to the digital sovereignty that may given even more impetus to the bilateral projects.
Indeed, now it is the right moment - last train, some may say - for increasing the collaboration. But what about the day after, when maybe the politicians supporting it will be no more in the forefront? Do we need to wait again for a happy configuration of sorts, like an alignment of stars, to hope for an operational French-German European politics? Caught unprepared for the challenges of a (conflictual) multi-polar world, not of the friendliest type, threatened by aggressive non-democracies who infiltrated its very own members, the political Europe needs more than friendly politicians. It needs on one side long-term visions of a common democratic future and mechanisms of defending democracy, including against its very own demons. Politicians alone cannot succeed, they need the common concert of all democratical actors to inform, react and generate democratic solutions.
