The Franco-German Friendship Treaty of 22 January 1963 was not the starting point for the reconciliation between the two countries, which began with the Schuman Plan of 1950. But by facilitating the pursuit of Franco-German reconciliation, it has rendered a very important service to the construction of Europe, to the benefit of all members of the Union.
The Digital Decade 2030 Action Plan, a monitoring and cooperation mechanism designed to achieve common targets for Europe's digital transformation by 2030, has just entered into force. To safeguard their digital sovereignty and after letting the American giants impose their rules of the game, it is not too late for Europeans to create a trusted digital infrastructure, the foundation of a common data market.
One year after the Council conclusions on its governance, the European Research Area (ERA) requires a change of mindset so that resources are no longer scattered and fragmented across twenty-seven different systems.
There was an incident between the Greek Prime Minister and the Turkish President at the European Political Community summit on 6 October in Prague. On the ground, tensions remain high and Athens is calling for European solidarity and strengthening its military forces.
With the war in Ukraine, the European Union has indeed become a liberal power that defends its values by using the tools of "hard power". But to become an active force, even a power, it must overcome several strategic, economic and political obstacles.