Since World War II, Germany and France have been considered the most powerful pair in Europe. But now cracks have started appearing in it. According to Euro News, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is now increasing his friendship with Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. Merz had hinted at this from the stage of the World Economic Forum in Davos itself. He said that at the Italy-Germany summit to be held in Rome on January 23, he and Meloni will together put forward some new suggestions to run the European Union in a better and different way. According to American website The Politico, both Merz and Meloni are right-wing thinkers, consider relations with America important and want to avoid confrontation with Trump. Apart from this, both of them also have some resentment towards French President Emmanuel Macron. This is the reason why earlier Germany looked towards France to decide European policy. But now it seems to be standing with Italy to move forward on issues like trade, industry and relations with America. Trade deal increases rift between France and Germany: According to the report, Merz’s inclination towards Meloni is partly due to his displeasure with France. Germany is upset that France tried to weaken the Mercosur trade deal with South America. Mercosur is a regional trade group in South America. This includes countries like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay. The European Union (EU) wants to make Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with these countries. Germany’s economy depends on exports. He sees more benefits in this agreement. At the same time, France is opposing this agreement. Farmers wield enormous political power in France. Farmer organizations feel that their industry will be destroyed by the import of cheap grains, dairy and beef from South America. The Macron government is afraid of angering the farmers. For this reason they are postponing the Mercosur deal. Germany says that this agreement was prepared after years of negotiations but France is stopping it due to domestic politics and pressure from farmers. Controversy also increased regarding fighter jet project. Apart from Mercosur, there is also a dispute between the two countries regarding a fighter jet project worth 100 billion euros (10.7 lakh crore). The name of this project is Future Combat Air System (FCAS). It is a complete aerial warfare system. FCAS includes advanced technologies such as sixth generation fighter aircraft, AI based command system, satellite and radar networks and electronic warfare systems. This system is going to replace France’s Rafale and Germany-Spain’s Eurofighter after 2040. There are differences between France and Germany in this project of 3 countries. France wants the design and control of the fighter jet to remain with it. At the same time, his company Dassault Aviation got an important role. At the same time, Germany wants an equal share in this project and is also demanding equal rights for its country’s company Airbus. According to Germany’s important newspaper Handelsblatt, Meloni is now becoming an ‘increasingly important partner’ for Merge. The attitude of both the leaders is different from France on issues like tariffs with the US and Greenland. They don’t want a trade war with America. Former Italian Ambassador Pietro Benassi says, “Meloni and Merz have been the European leaders most open to talks with Trump. Trump’s sudden decisions have brought Italy and Germany closer.” Meloni’s allies allege that Macron shows two faces in Trump’s case. On public occasions, he tries to show himself tough in front of Trump and advocates that Europe should not be dependent on America. But behind the scenes he tries to maintain a better relationship with them. Recently, Trump had leaked Macron’s private message. In this, Macron is seen trying to manage relations with Trump. Merz-Melloni’s growing closeness is more compulsion than strategy. Meloni did not support Merz’s proposal to help Ukraine with Russia’s frozen assets in December 2025. There have also been differences between the two countries on financial policies. Italy wants a soft budget policy, while Germany has long been a supporter of austerity in spending. Yet in recent times some closeness has been seen here too. Meloni has reduced spending in Italy, while Merz has approved increasing spending in Germany by borrowing on infrastructure and defense. Experts believe that this alliance is largely based on political compulsion and mutual benefits. Both Meloni of Italy and Merz of Germany have made changes in their domestic politics, which has brought them closer to each other ideologically. However, former diplomat Stefano Stefanini warns, “This alliance is more immediate than strategic. The two will not always agree on every issue. Meloni has understood that when there is tension between France and Germany, it is the right time to get closer to Germany.” ———————————— Also read this news related to Germany… Germany is busy in building the most powerful army after Hitler: ₹ 2.5 lakh monthly offer to the youth, Trump’s deception and fear of Putin, the reason for this is that after the Second World War, Germany maintained distance from military power for a long time, but now it has increased the expenditure on the army. According to the report of Al Jazeera, the German government has set out on a mission to create the most powerful army in Europe. To bring the youth into the army, an offer of up to ₹ 2.5 lakh per month is being made. The increasing threat from Russia and the loss of trust in America during the Trump era have made Germany realize that now it will have to take responsibility for its own security. Read the full news here…
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यूरोप की सबसे ताकतवर फ्रांस-जर्मनी की जोड़ी टूटने के करीब: मेलोनी के साथ दोस्ती बढ़ा रहे जर्मन चांसलर, मैक्रों से क्यों हुए नाराज
