60 years of Franco- German friendship treaty
German envoy reflects on the significance of Elysee Treaty
France and Germany are somehow, like the “glue”, which keeps the 28- member European Union ( EU) together, German Ambassador to Botswana, Margit Hellwig- botte has posited.
She was speaking in an interview with Botswana Guardian at the German residence this week Monday on the occasion to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Franco- German Friendship Treaty, otherwise known as the Elysee Treaty.
The ground- breaking Accord, which served to silence the guns and end a centuries- old enmity between the two European powerhouses at the time, was signed by then French President Charles de Gaulle and the West German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer on the 22nd of January 1963 at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France.
“Of- course the European is much, much bigger than France and Germany, but at the very beginning when it all started in 1958, there was France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium - only six countries that started it, but the big economic bases at the time was France and Germany – it was like matching agriculture and industry,” she recalled. In the beginning the European Union was much more about economics than about politics. It grew over the years and became more like a “political home” for European nations which share the same values and same interest in peace and doing business. After the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR) – better known as - the Soviet Union’ in 1989, and Germany was reunited when communist East Germany reunited with capitalist West Germany – this provided scope for the new independent states such as the Balkan states, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania to also become members of the EU economic club.
These countries wanted to become members also for political reasons – most probably to seek refuge from perceived Russian aggression under the military alliance of NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation – perceptions which appear to have manifested with the protracted Russia/ Ukraine war that is nearing one- year next month.
Ever since then, the EU has steadily grown more political!
Ambassador Margit Hellwig- botte cited among benefits accruing from the Elysee Treaty, the creation of the Franco- German Youth Office; creation of Franco- German high schools, and the twinning between numerous French and German towns. Figures show that in the year 2021, some 68 694 young German and French students participated in Franco- German exchange programmes, plus 32 444 in digital and hybrid programmes. The Franco- German youth office aims at getting back to pre- Covid levels of almost 200 000 participants per year.
The German envoy, who was also speaking on behalf of France since her French colleague, Ambassador Olivier Brochenin could not join her because four months later, he’s still to present his credentials to the President – said there are more than 7000 twinnings of cities, communities and districts, adding that city twinnings alone amount to 2 200. These figures demonstrate the depth of friendship between France and Germany, and the extent to which the citizens of both countries have internalised the treaty. In fact, Margit Hellwigbotte is herself a beneficiary of this twinning arrangement, having studied in France.
She speaks fluent French and last year donated some of her books from her school days in France to the Gaborone Alliance de Francaise. She says the friendship is best demonstrated by communities in the border areas where there is real cooperation with different companies.
For example, she says the border between France and Germany is no longer visible and very often people speak the language of the other, that is, Germans speak French and French speak German!
“We also have Franco- German University Institutes near the border, so there’s a lot of university cooperation going on, and especially the school exchanges – personally as a consequence of my involvement with France at a very early age was that I studied French language and literature!”
And wherever she has worked in the diplomatic field she’s always had a good relationship with her French counterpart – for example, the immediate past French Ambassador Laurence Beau was the first Ambassador that Margit Hellwig- botte met when she arrived in Gaborone – the same is true for Olivier, the first Ambassador he met was his German colleague, Hellwig- Botte.
And as if a deliberate overture to consolidate this bond, both the French and German residences stand opposite each other on the North Ring Road here in Gaborone!
HOW IS THE TREATY BENEFITING EUROPE?
It has led to more economic integration and benefit for the people. Small economies benefit from trade if they grow or produce what they are good at and sell it to their neighbours – that is how Europe integration began. For example, smaller countries like The Netherlands and Belgium benefitted immensely from trade. Integration works both ways – economic and political. In fact, the German envoy says the Russian aggression against Ukraine has since brought the whole of Europe together against Russia.
“At EU level our principle of action against Russia is sanctions and isolation. The EU imposed a number of considerable sanctions against Russia and we try to isolate Russia as much as we can.”
BUT IS THE EU WINNING?
“We cannot lose. Russia has it in its own hands if it wants to stop the war, but at this moment in time I don’t see that Russia is ready for negotiations or ending the war, but if they withdraw their troops and if they stop the aggression, there would be peace. “It’s not Ukraine which is the aggressor, it is Russia!” she said. Sadly, at multilateral level, the structure of the United Nations’ Security Council is “outdated” and not reflective of the reality of the world today, because it was created at the end of the second World War ( WWII).
Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and can therefore veto any resolution the Council adopts if it is against its interests! Franco- German foreign ministers support calls for reform of the UN Security Council – they support the two seats for the African Union at the Security Council.