Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FRANCE AND GERMANY

Macron visits Scholz, seeking to shore up French-German ties

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host France's President Emmanuel Macron Monday for talks in Hamburg, a visit overshadowed by the conflict between Palestinian militants and Israel.

Published: 9 October 2023 11:00 CEST
Macron visits Scholz, seeking to shore up French-German ties
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron will meet this week. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

The two-day meeting, which also gathers ministers under the German-French government consultation format, had been due to focus on digital innovations including artificial intelligence.

But the long-planned event will also give Scholz and Macron a chance to huddle and coordinate a European response after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel at the weekend.

Both Germany and France have pledged their support for Israel, while warning against a regional escalation.

On arrival in Hamburg, Macron and Scholz will tour an Airbus factory before taking a harbour cruise.

“We will take a boat along the Elbe, eat some fish sandwiches and discuss the mid- and long-term,” said a French aide of the president.

No immediate announcement is expected following the talks, but subjects to be broached during the meeting are far from trivial.

They have gained urgency as the government consultations were first postponed in 2022 over the war in Ukraine while Macron’s visit, due in July, was delayed over riots in France.

Over the last months, increasing friction has appeared to emerge over the two countries’ vision on how to deal with an energy price shock sparked by the Ukraine war, nuclear power as well as European rearmament.

Jacob Ross, political analyst at the Alfred von Oppenheim Centre for the Future of Europe, said the topics in Hamburg could range from energy security to defence to immigration.

“More and more questions are on the table, waiting for answers,” said Ross.

For Maria Krpata of the French Institute of International Relations, “it’s about giving shape to the concepts of economic security”.

It was important for the European giants to “create an alliance on artificial intelligence” as the continent seeks to de-risk from China, she added.

The EU is seeking to reduce its reliance on China, after it was stung by dependencies on Russian energy amid Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Factcheck: Is France really trying to ban speaking English at the Paris Olympics?

A resolution by a group of French MPs to 'say non to English at the Paris Olympics' has generated headlines - but will athletes and visitors really be required to speak French?

Published: 3 May 2024 10:10 CEST
Factcheck: Is France really trying to ban speaking English at the Paris Olympics?

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, France’s Assemblée Nationale urged organisers of the 2024 Paris Games, as well as athletes, trainers and journalists, to use French as much as possible.

Annie Genevard, the sponsor of the resolution from the right-wing Les Républicains party, expressed alarm to fellow MPs that “the Olympic Games reflect the loss of influence of our language.”

The French MP’s resolution has garnered headlines, but does it actually mean anything?

Citing examples of English slogans in international sport, she added: “The fight for the French language … is never finished, even in the most official spheres.

“Let’s hope that ‘planche a roulettes’ replaces skateboard and ‘rouleau du cap’ point break (a surfing term), but I have my doubts.”

She’s right to doubt it – in French the skateboarding event is ‘le skateboard’, while the new addition of break-dancing is ‘le breaking‘.

But what does this actually mean?

In brief, not a lot. This is a parliamentary resolution, not a law, and is totally non-binding.

The Games are organised by the International Olympic Committee, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and Paris City Hall – MPs do not have a role although clearly the Games must follow any French domestic laws that parliament passes.

The French parliament has got slightly involved with security issues for the Games, passing laws allowing for the use of enhanced security and surveillance measures including the use of facial recognition and drone technology that was previously outlawed in France.

So what do the Olympic organisers think of English?

The Paris 2024 organisers have shown that they have no problem using English – which is after all one of the two official languages of the Olympics. The other being French.

The head of the organising committee Tony Estanguet speaks fluent English and is happy to do so while official communications from the Games organisers – from social media posts to the ticketing website – are all available in both French and English.

Even the slogan for the Games is in both languages – Ouvrir grand les jeux/ Games wide open (although the pun only really works in French).

In fact the Games organisers have sometimes drawn criticism for their habit (common among many French people, especially younger ones) of peppering their French with English terms, from “le JO-bashing” – criticism of the Olympics – to use of the English “challenges” rather than the French “defis”.

The 45,000 Games volunteers – who are coming from dozens of countries – are required only to speak either French or English and all information for volunteers has been provided in both languages.

Paris local officials are also happy to use languages other than French and the extra signage that is going up in the city’s public transport system to help people find their way to Games venues is printed in French, English and Spanish.

Meanwhile public transport employees have been issued with an instant translation app, so that they can help visitors in multiple languages.

In short, visitors who don’t speak French shouldn’t worry too much – just remember to say bonjour.

Official language  

So why is French an official language of the Olympics? Well that’s easy – the modern Games were the invention of a Frenchman, the aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, in the late 19th century.

Some of his views – for example that an Olympics with women would be “impractical, uninteresting (and) unaesthetic” – have thankfully been consigned to the dustbin of history, but his influence remains in the language.

The International Olympic Committee now has two official languages – English and French.

Official communications from the IOC are done in both languages and announcements and speeches at the Games (for example during medal ceremonies) are usually done in English, French and the language of the host nation, if that language is neither English nor French.

SHOW COMMENTS