Merkel and Macron betray weakness with cautious Aachen treaty

The new Franco-German treaty has been criticized for being too unambitious. “But at least on the issue of closer cross-border co-operation France and Germany can act”, said Claire Demesmay. The idea might seen “niche”, but could end up becoming a “laboratory” for closer EU integration. Moreover, “at a time when the whole idea of Europe is increasingly threatened by national egoism and fragmentation, symbols are important.”