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Side by side

How enemies became close friends: important milestones on the path to Franco-German partnership.

09.01.2026
Aachen Treaty
The Karlsbrunnen fountain with its statue of Charlemagne is to be found on the Marktplatz in front of Aachen Town Hall © AdobeStock

After the end of the Second World War, the enmity between Germany and France gradually evolved to become a close partnership that continues to influence all of Europe to this day. An early signal was sent by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in 1950 with his idea of jointly controlling coal and steel production – laying the foundation for European integration. The political framework was created by Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and President Charles de Gaulle when they signed the Élysée Treaty in 1963: regular coordination, close cooperation, exchange programmes. The 1984 meeting between Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand in Verdun also symbolised Franco-German reconciliation. The Aachen Treaty (2019/2020) further deepened the Franco-German friendship, which serves as a driving force for Europe to this day. 

1958: French President Charles de Gaulle receives German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at his country residence in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.
1958: French President Charles de Gaulle receives German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at his country residence in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. © picture-alliance / dpa
1962: De Gaulle and Adenauer celebrate a service of reconciliation at Reims Cathedral. The cathedral had been badly damaged by German troops during the First World War.
1962: De Gaulle and Adenauer celebrate a service of reconciliation at Reims Cathedral. The cathedral had been badly damaged by German troops during the First World War. © picture alliance / Kurt Rohwedder
1963: Adenauer and de Gaulle sign the Treaty of Franco-German Friendship, known as the Élysée Treaty, at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
1963: Adenauer and de Gaulle sign the Treaty of Franco-German Friendship, known as the Élysée Treaty, at the Élysée Palace in Paris. © picture alliance / dpa
1974: The two friends Helmut Schmidt and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing are elected and deepen Franco-German cooperation.
1974: The two friends Helmut Schmidt and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing are elected and deepen Franco-German cooperation. © picture alliance / dpa
1984: Their hands joined, President François Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl remember the French and German victims of the world war on the former battlefields of Verdun.
1984: Their hands joined, President François Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl remember the French and German victims of the world war on the former battlefields of Verdun. © picture alliance / Sven Simon
2003: On the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Élysée Treaty, the 22nd of January is proclaimed Franco-German Day.
2003: On the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Élysée Treaty, the 22nd of January is proclaimed Franco-German Day. © picture-alliance / dpa
2009: In Paris, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy commemorate the end of the First World War. It is the first time that a German head of government takes part in such a ceremony.
2009: In Paris, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy commemorate the end of the First World War. It is the first time that a German head of government takes part in such a ceremony. © picture-alliance/ dpa
2013: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, the two countries hold a joint session of the Bundestag and the National Assembly in Berlin.
2013: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, the two countries hold a joint session of the Bundestag and the National Assembly in Berlin. © picture alliance / dpa
2017: French President Emmanuel Macron announces an even closer partnership with Germany and plans to “rebuild” the EU.
2017: French President Emmanuel Macron announces an even closer partnership with Germany and plans to “rebuild” the EU. © picture alliance / Frédéric Dugit/MAXPPP/dpa
2019: The Treaty of Aachen is signed. A follow-up to the Elysée Treaty, it provides, among other things, for closer coordination in European policy. The constituent meeting of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly took place in Paris on 25 March 2019.
2019: The Treaty of Aachen is signed. A follow-up to the Elysée Treaty, it provides, among other things, for closer coordination in European policy. The constituent meeting of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly took place in Paris on 25 March 2019. © picture alliance / SvenSimon
Merz and Macron
2025: Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first trip abroad after taking office was to Paris on 7 May 2025. Among other things, Merz and Macron agreed on even closer economic cooperation between their two countries. © picture alliance/dpa

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