“The issue is the sheer size of this support program that can weaken economies that have less fiscal space than ours,” said an adviser to Emmanuel Macron.
Germany’s massive €200 billion package to support households and businesses threatens to weaken some European countries, warns the Presidency of the French Republic, calling for “better coordination” of national programs.
“It is legitimate and normal for Member States to seek solutions to support households and businesses in the face of inflation and soaring energy prices. We do too”the Elysee Palace admits ahead of the informal European summit in Prague on Friday.
“The issue is the sheer size of this support program that can weaken economies that have less fiscal space than ours.”said an adviser to the president of France during a press conference with journalists.
“Now we have to find the appropriate mechanism so that this legal support is compatible with the functioning of our integrated economies”said the same presidential source.
The issue is “better coordination of national programs that are by no means the same size,” he said.
THE Germany is under fire for the €200 billion program it announced to support households and businesses. Berlin is accused of playing its own game, at a time when Brussels and European capitals are calling for more economic solidarity within the European bloc.
“The measures we are taking are justified”, insisted yesterday German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
For its part, the French Presidency denied that there is a difference of opinion with the chancellor on the matter. “There is no problem with Berlin… there are no differences on these issues,” the Elysee Palace source assured.
“There is a collective consciousness on both sides of the Rhine for the management of energy issues, for the need for coordination and solidarity”he said.
“There is rather a convergence in order to move forward together and to re-invigorate both the bilateral relationship and the Franco-German positions on European issues”underlined the Elysee Palace.
The president of France Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who dined together on Monday in Berlin, will meet again before the European summit in Prague.
“We can recall other incidents in which the former chancellor Angela Merkel had taken decisions, more or less coordinated, mainly with regard to immigration issues”the source concluded.
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