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During its presidency of the EU, France has set to itself an ambitious programme. Beyond its announced priorities, (ESPD, immigration, energy issues, the reform of common European policies), Paris will have to implement the Lisbon Treaty, which has just been ratified. This can only be achieved by numerous partnerships, especially with Germany. Germany’s experience when it held the EU presidency offers France many useful lessons.Daniela Schwarzer is a researcher on european issues at the German Institute of International Affairs and Security (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP) of Berlin and co-editor of the website Eurozone Watch. From 1994 to 2004 she has been the leader writer and correspondant in Paris for the Financial Times Deutschland.