Luis Ayllón
France and Germany believe that the process of revitalising the European Union that the present moment demands must involve not only their joint action, but also the contribution of Spain. That was the message left by the ambassadors of the two countries on Wednesday at the joint celebration in Madrid of the 75th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty and the first of the Aachen Treaty.
The event took place at the residence of the French ambassador, Jean-Michel Casa, with the presence of his German colleague, Wolfgang Dold, and the participation of the President of the Constitutional Court, Juan José González Rivas, as the highest Spanish representative.
The event was attended by numerous ambassadors accredited in Madrid, mainly European, generals of the three armies and the Guardia Civil and senior officials from various ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as other guests from the world of the media, business people and university professors.
In his speech, the French ambassador recalled the signing in 1963 of the Treaty – which he described as a “historical miracle” – that sealed the reconciliation between France and Germany and laid the foundations for cooperation between the two countries. Only a year ago, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel signed another treaty in Aachen to try to meet the challenges of the European Union.
Jean-Michel Casa pointed out that today Europe is threatened by dangers such as nationalism, Brexit or the great changes taking place at international level. He therefore considered it necessary “to have a sincere dialogue and to strengthen the Franco-German committees, extending them to other partners of the Union”.
In this sense, he stressed the importance that should be given to Spain’s role “for its commitment to Europe, its economic dynamism, its universal language and its special relationship with Latin America or the Mediterranean”. “Spain is a heavyweight”, he stressed, pointing out, in conclusion, that the three countries – where the three families of the Popular Party, Liberals and Social Democrats govern today – have, as a whole, “an ambitious vision of Europe”.
For his part, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany shared the ideas of his French colleague, and insisted that the Franco-German relationship “is not exclusive, but open to collaboration with other countries that share the same Europeanism”.
Wolfgang Dold said that “Europe needs more Spain” in order to achieve “a stronger, more sovereign and more united union”.
He concluded by expressing his opinion that, despite difficulties such as the Brexit, “there are reasons to be optimistic, and he insisted on the need to work together without forgetting that “more and more powers – economic or of values – are emerging in the world that compete with Europe”.
Finally, the President of the Spanish Constitutional Court stated that the solid development of Europe has favoured legal cooperation and has made us grow “in values, freedom and justice”. For this reason, he indicated that cooperation between France, Germany and Spain is the foundation for European development.
