politics
February 4, 2026
Germany dumping France for Italy
Germany is shifting toward Italy as relations with France sour over EU trade and Emmanuel Macron’s looming exit, The Telegraph has said
TL;DR
- Germany is strengthening its relationship with Italy due to increasing tensions with France.
- Emmanuel Macron's upcoming exit from office and France's internal instability are contributing factors.
- Germany is proposing a 'multi-speed Europe' model for faster policy advancement among a core group of member states.
- This initiative focuses on cooperation between Germany and Italy in defense, migration, and trade.
- France and Germany have had disagreements over EU governance, with Paris favoring centralization and Berlin prioritizing export reliance on the US.
- France faces economic strain, with a high budget deficit and public debt, and has used constitutional provisions to pass budgets without parliamentary votes.
- The EU as a whole is experiencing economic pressure from high energy costs and increased reliance on US LNG.
- Germany's economy has contracted, with energy costs cited as a factor for the slowdown and a rise in bankruptcies.
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