Does Le Pen's National Rally victory threaten Franco-German relations?

euronews (in English)

Analysts warn that the far-right National Rally's success may challenge relations between Paris and Berlin and complicate Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s agenda.

Transcript

00:00It's a French election but with a major impact on Germany.

00:05Analysts told Euronews that Berlin's influence over the EU could decline after the national

00:11rally gained a strong lead in the first round of France's parliamentary elections.

00:17The Franco-German relationship builds a lot on very close contacts between all levels

00:21at the ministerial level and beyond.

00:23If the Rassemblement National had a majority in parliament and that would mean that they

00:27would hold a lot of these positions, it would fundamentally change Franco-German work together

00:32because people do not know one another and the Rassemblement National has had a very

00:37explicitly anti-German stance.

00:39So a lot of work would have to go into normalizing relations between France and Germany.

00:44Germany calls France its most important and closest ally in Europe.

00:48Chancellor Schulz said about a week ago that he was concerned about the election.

00:52He said he'd be happy for any party without Le Pen to be successful.

00:56And he said it was up to French people to decide.

01:00German news outlets are focusing on the risky gamble and loss for French President Emmanuel

01:06Macron.

01:07A leading member of Chancellor Schulz's party told a newspaper that the results mean his

01:12country may have to prepare for Le Pen as president.

01:17One political economist says Germany will be limited in taking on bigger projects in

01:21the EU if the national rally succeeds.

01:24German politicians are really afraid of a Euro-sceptic government in France.

01:29They are afraid of Jean-Bernard Mandela, who has questioned the European Energy Union,

01:35for example, and who has also questioned the European rulings on the growth and stability

01:43pact, namely on fiscal conservatism.

01:47Cornelia Voll says France's focus may shift away from Germany if the national rally gets

01:53a majority.

01:56I think it would definitely mean that the center of cooperation would move away from

02:01Franco-German cooperation, possibly to Franco-Italian cooperation, where it's easier to build bridges.

02:07I do not think that France and Germany, which have always had a difficult working relationship

02:11that they've invested a lot in, would be able to bridge this gap in partisan politics.

02:23For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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