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The transatlantic alliance should make it clear that it is ready to face the ever-closer combination of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It’s essential that Germany becomes a reliable ally again.

While the people of France and Germany have a largely positive image of the other country, that does not mean that they know or feel a particular empathy for each other.

Franco-German relations have been rocky of late, but recently, they seemed to have taken a turn for the better. If France’s parliament is now conquered by the far right or becomes deadlocked, that relationship is likely to become even more deeply fractured. 

Scandals have only dented, but not eroded support for Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland. In September, the party could come close to political power at the regional level. The case for banning it is getting stronger.

The Franco-German relationship remains irreplaceable for the EU. But it urgently needs to be renewed to include European goals.

Paris and Berlin are sidelined as voters seek change and security at the same time. Brussels will have to step in.

In the green resource race, the United States and the EU should look to the big island in the North Atlantic and forge a common approach, providing expertise and facilitating the needed investments.

To ensure the most effective industrial policy in the EU, Paris and Berlin should push for policies that build on their strengths and help Europe leap forward instead of always chasing the United States and China.

The recent conclusion of a Russia-North Korea pact is likely to unnerve China even more than the building of a Japan-South Korea-United States alliance.

German and French political parties that might ostensibly share the same traditions and ideologies are actually moving further and further apart. 

A number of recent surveys support the view that the French and the Germans are drifting apart. Strong cross-border initiatives in the fields of education, public media, culture, and tourism remain potent counterweights.

Paris and Berlin need to find new ways to drive Europe forward despite their diverging visions—and uncertainty over elections.