Alden Biesen Summit: Europe's New Fronts and Competitiveness Challenges

Brussels - Ekhbary News Agency

Alden Biesen Summit: Europe's New Fronts and Competitiveness Challenges

In a scene that appeared to be a desperate attempt to save face, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived together at the informal European summit at Alden Biesen Castle. This image, which included a traditional handshake reminiscent of bygone eras, masked deep disagreements and escalating tensions threatening to reshape power dynamics within the European Union. While Paris and Berlin project unity to face global challenges, such as competition with the United States and China, fundamental divisions over Europe's economic and political future are unfolding.

Matias Krupa, the Paris correspondent for the German weekly Die Zeit, noted that Macron, despite being a demanding and often volatile partner, has frequently been correct in his vision for Europe's future, urging Merz's government to pay more attention to the French president's proposals. Since 2017, concepts like European sovereignty, common defense, and strategic autonomy have transformed from bold ideas into core elements of European discourse. Yet, the familiar script persists: Macron outlines his ambitions, and Berlin moderates or vetoes them.

The central issue at Alden Biesen was Macron's proposal for “eurobonds for the future”—common debt to finance massive investments in defense, green technologies, and artificial intelligence. This idea is not new and has been previously supported by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, who suggested financing up to 1.3 trillion euros. However, the German response was decisive: “Niet!”, reflecting Germany's historical aversion to common debt. Berlin partially agreed to a “Buy European” preference in public contracts, but with strict conditions and limited to specific strategic sectors, favoring instead general deregulation to free European companies from regulatory burdens.

These disagreements highlighted the wear and tear of the Franco-German axis, which has yet to recover from the period of stagnation during Olaf Scholz's tenure. These tensions are evident in joint projects like the European FCAS fighter jet, which faces collapse, and in the dispute over the Mercosur trade agreement. In this changing landscape, Friedrich Merz chose to shift focus, seeking rapprochement with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, culminating in a crucial summit last January. This rapprochement resulted in an initial document for the Belgian summit signed by Germany, Italy, and Belgium, indicating a clear marginalization of France, and later Spain, sending a message to Southern European countries and their economic aspirations. It seems that 'Protestant Europe' is now calling the shots.

The marginalization was not limited to France. Meloni organized a pre-summit coordination breakfast in a city hotel, attended by 19 countries—a large number that diminished its effectiveness and created resentment among those excluded. Among these countries was Spain, Europe's fourth-largest economy with a strong economic performance, making its exclusion from productivity discussions curious, alongside Slovenia, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Portugal. The Spanish government lodged a formal complaint regarding this exclusion.

This marginalization is partly attributed to the perceived political weaknesses of French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Macron faces a parliamentary minority, and his government struggles to pass budgets, set to leave the Elysée in 2027 without constitutional capacity for re-election. Sánchez, meanwhile, leads a fragile government with insufficient parliamentary support, and forecasts suggest his party could face a significant defeat in the 2027 elections. This political fragility opens the door for potential shifts in France and Spain towards right-wing and far-right coalition governments, which would constitute a crucial turning point in the European political landscape and impact the EU's future. Germany and Italy appear to be already preparing for this new scenario, as the crucial electoral year of 2026 approaches, preceding major elections in France, Italy, Spain, and Poland in 2027.

Ekhbary News Agency