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FRANCE AND GERMANY

FRANCE

Merkel to host Hollande in her voter heartland

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will welcome French President Francois Hollande to her own electoral fiefdom on Friday. It's a first for a French president and is seen as a sign of her desire to strengthen ties between the two leaders.

Merkel to host Hollande in her voter heartland
Merkel welcomes Hollande to her electoral heartland on Friday. Photo: AFP

The pair's meeting coincides with offical Europe Day and there will be a number of issues on the agenda for the two leaders.

Initially German media said the talks, described by the French president's office as"informal", would focus on the Ukraine crisis, but they are also expected to touch on the upcoming European elections and the threat of the far right.

The two leaders will make sure they deliver the same message on the subject, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The ongoing battle to buy the energy arm of France’s Alstom group that has ended up in a bidding war between US giant General Electric and Germany’s Siemens, will also be on the agenda.

But with an island cruise on the schedule, as well as a sight-seeing stroll past the Gothic red brick churches and medieval gabled houses of Stralsund, the meeting is also intended to help the two politicians improve their initially rocky relationship.

While conservative Chancellor Merkel throughout the eurozone crisis has championed the need for fiscal discipline and austerity, Socialist Hollande has advocated stimulus measures to boost growth and ease the pain during his two years in power.

The pair have not always seen eye to eye on issues, especially when it comes to how to guide Europe out of the economic crisis.as “more a forced marriage, than love at first sight”.

The invitation to Merkel's electoral district "is certainly a sign of recognition and esteem", said Franco-German Institute vice president Henrik Uterwedde, who said relations "have clearly become more friendly" since the days when Merkel openly backed Hollande's election rival, then president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Merkel has previously invited other leaders to the northeastern city of Stralsund, including former US president George W. Bush in 2006 and then-eurogroup leader Jean-Claude Juncker in 2012.

The old town of Stralsund, located in what was formerly communist East Germany, is now a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site.

Merkel and Hollande last met in early April at a Brussels summit of the European Union and African Union.

The pair have not always seen eye to eye on issues, especially when it comes to how to guide Europe out of the economic crisis.as “more a forced marriage, than love at first sight”.

However the fact Hollande is being invited to Merkel’s backyard, suggests the pair accept they have to do their best to make their marriage work, for the sake of the European family.

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POLITICS

France vows to block EU-South America trade deal in current form

France has vowed to prevent a trade deal between the European Union and the South American Mercosur bloc from being signed with its current terms, as the country is rocked by farmer protests.

France vows to block EU-South America trade deal in current form

The trade deal, which would include agricultural powers Argentina and Brazil, is among a litany of complaints by farmers in France and elsewhere in Europe who have been blocking roads to demand better conditions for their sector.

They fear it would further depress their produce prices amid increased competition from exporting nations that are not bound by strict and costly EU environmental laws.

READ ALSO Should I cancel my trip to France because of farmers’ protests?

“This Mercosur deal, as it stands, is not good for our farmers. It cannot be signed as is, it won’t be signed as is,” Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told broadcasters CNews and Europe 1.

The European Commission acknowledged on Tuesday that the conditions to conclude the deal with Mercosur, which also includes Paraguay and Uruguay, “are not quite there yet”.

The talks, however, are continuing, the commission said.

READ ALSO 5 minutes to understand French farmer protests

President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that France opposes the deal because it “doesn’t make Mercosur farmers and companies abide by the same rules as ours”.

The EU and the South American nations have been negotiating since 2000.

The contours of a deal were agreed in 2019, but a final version still needs to be ratified.

The accord aims to cut import tariffs on – mostly European – industrial and pharmaceutical goods, and on agricultural products.

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