(Own report) -Germany and France are seeking greater “European sovereignty” and aim to “strengthen the EU as a geopolitical actor,” according to a Franco-German declaration published yesterday in Paris on the occasion of the ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Élysée Treaty. The declaration provides military support for Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” announces new armament projects, and a Franco-German exercise in the “Indo-Pacific.” This is also due to Germany's severe setbacks in its rivalry with the Unites States, including its growing military dependence and the threat of its deindustrialization due to the exodus of production sites to the USA. According to the French publicist Emmanuel Todd, the current global power struggle – “the third world war has begun” – is also “about Germany.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz anticipates the emergence of a “multipolar world,” in which Germany and the EU are to assume leading roles as strong military powers.
Le monde 20 nov 2022
After a year of uncertainty, France and Germany finally announced on Friday, November 18, that they had reached a new agreement to launch the next phase of development of the future "sixth generation" European fighter aircraft. This stage involves the construction of a demonstrator, which is essential for the success of this project. Also known as the "future combat air system" (FCAS), which is expected to replace the French Rafale (made by Dassault Aviation) and the Eurofighter Typhoon (Airbus) by 2040.
"Profound technical disagreements between Dassault and Airbus Defence and Space, particularly on sharing intellectual property on flight controls, have slowed the progress of the FCAS. Of all the players in this vast 100-billion euro, Franco-German industrial project launched in 2017, and which Spain joined at the end of 2019, Dassault is the party with the most to lose."
"Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Greece has spent an estimated €216bn on armaments, although I am 100% certain that in absolute terms its defence expenditure is much greater than official documents would show due to the so-called secret funds the state has access to," said Katerina Tsoukala, a Brussels-based security expert.