BERLIN (Reuters) – French President Emanuel Macron called on members of the German Bundestag to uphold the legacy of the late Wolfgang Schaeuble in a speech on Monday, much of which was delivered in German.
Macron, who studied German in school but is not fluent, reportedly practiced extensively before his address at the ceremony in the Bundestag honoring Schaeuble, according to French officials.
This appeal comes at a time when French-German relations are strained due to disagreements on energy, industry, and defense policy, exacerbated by the lack of chemistry between Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Schaeuble, who grew up in the aftermath of World War II and served as a member of the German parliament for over 50 years, was a staunch defender of the Franco-German relationship, which he believed was essential to European peace and prosperity.
“The life of this great German, this great European, shows that he saw the changes of his country and the implementation of the European project as all part of one whole,” Macron said.
He noted that the French-German friendship played a pivotal role in helping both countries recover after the war, describing it as “the guarantor of that formula as the fundamental connector link of Europe.”
Schaeuble dedicated much of his career to the reunification of Germany and later served as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s finance minister during the eurozone debt crisis. He passed away at the age of 81 in late December.
“Now an era after Wolfgang Schaeuble begins. Let us take on this legacy and be up to the task,” Macron urged.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Sarah Marsh; Additional Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
