Franco-German cooperation at the heart of the European project

With the Elysée Treaty signed on 22 January 1963, General de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer provided momentum and set out, for their own peoples and more generally for all of Europe, a roadmap and a compelling vision for the future. At a time when the European Union has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, we must recognise that, fifty years after it was signed, this treaty remains indispensable to the building of Europe. In this context, the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Franco-German friendship should be seen as an opportunity for France and Germany to carry out a clear and uncompromising assessment of their cooperation and to set out the path to be taken in order to deepen their relationship and to meet the challenges facing the European Union.