Cooperation between the French and German governments will continue regardless of the outcome of the legislative elections in France, the spokesperson for the German government assured on Wednesday.
“Naturally, we work closely and trustingly with France, our most important and closest partner in Europe,” Steffen Hebestreit, the German government spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing in Berlin. He was notably questioned about the future of the councils of Franco-German ministers, after the elections in France.
Scholz “concerned” by the legislative elections
These councils, which bring together the French President and Prime Minister, the German Chancellor and all or some of the French and German ministers, are held once or twice a year, in turn in France and in Germany. “Let’s wait and see what the elections bring. And after the elections, we will see how our relations evolve,” he added.
“We remain fundamentally confident in these formats which have proven themselves, such as the Franco-German Council of Ministers which meets regularly to exchange and consult in Europe, where both countries play an important role and which is certainly a useful format for bilateral relations,” he continued. Last Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was “concerned” by the prospect of a victory for the far right during early legislative elections in France.
“I am concerned about the elections in France,” Scholz told public broadcaster ARD. “And I hope that parties other than (Marine) Le Pen’s, so to speak, will win the elections. But it is up to the French people to decide,” he added.