German and French Leaders Compromise on the Mediterranean Union Proposal
Tensions between the German and French leaders appear to have relieved as they have found solutions on the Mediterranean Union proposal. A freezing burst in the German-French relations might be melting at-least on the serious problem which had divided Paris and Berlin. On 3rd March, both Nicholas Sarkozy, French President and Angela Merkel, German Chancellor declared that they had come to a conclusion regarding the Mediterranean Union proposal made by Sarkozy. In the recent weeks, German Chancellor was constantly criticizing the project. However, on 3rd March both the leaders seemed to have counterfeited the agreement. Sarkozy said that both the leaders have compromised on the proposal that will not prohibit anyone. They have agreed on details and the principles said the French President.
Angelo Merkel the German Chancellor said that the following result should be known as Mediterranean Union and it also should be the joint venture for all the Members of the European Union. This was said in a press conference jointly held with Sarkozy at the CeBIT computer trade fair in which France was the official guest country. Merkel referred to the deal in order to create a union along with the Mediterranean States which border the countries of European Union. This deal should be agreed and well planned in combination with all the members of EU States and not just the Mediterranean states as the French President had proposed in the beginning.
However, both the leaders did not summarize any particular details. The French President said that they did not prefer to capture the spotlight of EU from Slovenia that at present holds the bloc’s revolving administration. France believes placement to be in the month of July and the French President had intended to make the organization of the Mediterranean Union the main attraction of the six months tenure of Paris.
Earlier, Merkel had blamed Sarkozy for avoiding the existing strategies of EU in an effort to boost diplomatic influence oversees of France and for offering expenditure finances from the bloc of 27-nation in order to assist the creation of a new union. Sarkozy hoped to utilize the idea of “Club Med” which was disapproved by the critics, after the holiday chain of France in order to strengthen relations with the nations of Middle East and North Africa including Turkey. However, diplomats from Germany observed it as an effort to set up a second-tier European Union dominated by France. Some of them accused Sarkozy for utilizing it to avoid the membership in the EU for Turkey.
Allgemeine Zeitung from Frankfurt noted on 4th March that the German Chancellor had at first rejected the plan proposed by Sarkozy not due to Germany but due to the interests of the European states. The main problem of France is that it wants to resolve the solution with its bordering states that are even alleged by the German Chancellor as common problems for the European Union such as environmental protection, climate, trade, illegal immigration and the peace process in the Middle East. The German Chancellor insists that this proposal should be included in the European Union’s Barcelona procedure that was established in the year 1995. He also aims at promoting talks between the ten bordering countries and European Union.
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