Breakthrough for Decentralized Franco-German cooperation? Perspectives after the Aachen Treaty
The development of Franco-German cooperation can be described as an intergovernmental process. Depending on the perspective, the capacity for innovation of the relationship lies either with central decision-makers at the state level or with decentralized actors at the local level.
This Vision franco-allemande analyzes the Aachen Treaty and the French-German Parliamentary Agreement as regards new possibilities for decentralized cooperation. The paper concludes that Treaty and Agreement have the potential to overcome persisting obstacles, permitting to take decentralized cooperation to a new level. In order to succeed, political and pragmatic approaches are necessary: Politically, local, regional and national levels need to be linked up; pragmatically, a consequent policy of results is to be pursued.
Andreas Marchetti is honorary professor at the University of Paderborn and regularly teaches at the Franco-German campus of the Parisian Institut d'Études Politiques (Sciences Po) in Nancy. He was Associate Research Fellow at the Cerfa at the Ifri in 2009/2010.
This publication is available the following languages:
- FRENCH: "Briser le plafond de verre ? La coopération franco-allemande décentralisée suite au Traité d’Aix-la-Chapelle" (pdf)
- GERMAN: "Durchbruch für die dezentrale deutsch-französische Zusammenarbeit? Perspektiven nach dem Vertrag von Aachen" (pdf)
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The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
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