:00:34. > :00:42.TRANSLATION: Ladies and gentlemen, I am very happy that I can welcome
:00:43. > :00:51.here the French president, who has been inaugurated yesterday, I am
:00:52. > :00:54.very happy to greet and welcome him here in Berlin. It is a great honour
:00:55. > :00:58.that the first trip you are undertaking has taken you to Berlin,
:00:59. > :01:02.to Germany, and you can see from the number of journalists that your trip
:01:03. > :01:10.has stirred a certain amount of interest. We have exchanged our
:01:11. > :01:16.views today and we have agreed that we are going to continue to work
:01:17. > :01:23.very closely together. For a start, I congratulated the president for
:01:24. > :01:29.his very courageous path that he is going to undertake, and the path
:01:30. > :01:36.started during his electoral campaign and I wish him see the very
:01:37. > :01:42.best of luck for his political future, to make sure that France
:01:43. > :01:45.remains able to back and react. We know about the importance and
:01:46. > :01:55.significance of the Franco German relationship. It is a historic and
:01:56. > :02:05.long established relationship. And personally, I've 1am very much aware
:02:06. > :02:09.-- personally, I for one, and very aware that at this point in time in
:02:10. > :02:11.the European Union, that we must take the right decisions, and we
:02:12. > :02:16.have agreed to work closely together, in friendly terms, for the
:02:17. > :02:23.benefit of the people in our countries. I believe that the
:02:24. > :02:30.essence of this relationship should be, and this is what Mr Macron says
:02:31. > :02:34.to us Germans, we of course represent our nation's interests,
:02:35. > :02:41.but the German interest are very closely linked with the French
:02:42. > :02:46.interests, and Europe can only prosper if and when France and
:02:47. > :02:51.Germany prosper. And that's the reason why I feel so committed to
:02:52. > :02:59.this, and I say there is also on behalf of the federal government. We
:03:00. > :03:04.have been discussing three areas which we are going to intensify over
:03:05. > :03:11.dinner. There are number of issues, for example, the European asylum
:03:12. > :03:16.system, we are going to talk about the service directive, we are
:03:17. > :03:20.currently talk about issues regarding trade and commerce, and we
:03:21. > :03:28.want to create jobs, we want to secure jobs in our countries. It is
:03:29. > :03:31.something which is going to be very important for people who are
:03:32. > :03:36.unemployed in Germany and perhaps even more importantly in France.
:03:37. > :03:43.Secondary, we have agreed thus our bilateral co-operation will have to
:03:44. > :03:49.be further developed, we are going to connect with points in the past,
:03:50. > :03:56.but we want to increase the dynamics, that's the reason why in
:03:57. > :04:01.July we want to conduct another German-French Council of Ministers,
:04:02. > :04:07.in order to present a number of project that should give a new push
:04:08. > :04:12.to our relationship. We have also agreed that in the midterm of the
:04:13. > :04:21.European Union, we want to work out a timetable, a road map, if you
:04:22. > :04:25.like, so project that cannot valet overnight, but we have a joint
:04:26. > :04:32.conviction that we are not only going to deal with the British exit
:04:33. > :04:38.from the European Union, but we also need to deepen the European Union,
:04:39. > :04:48.the co-operation within the Eurozone and we need to promote co-operation.
:04:49. > :04:54.For example, issues like tax system harmonisation, that can also be part
:04:55. > :04:57.of our discussions. Co-operation in defence, we are going to intensify
:04:58. > :05:03.our talks there as well. There should be a more coherent European
:05:04. > :05:12.defence and foreign policy, and France and Germany will be a
:05:13. > :05:19.component in this trust, and I also support all the efforts to somehow
:05:20. > :05:25.decrease bureaucracy. Sometimes we are too cumbersome, too slow and not
:05:26. > :05:32.too agile. So, a very warm welcome here in Berlin. And from my part, I
:05:33. > :05:36.can only say, I look forward to a very good co-operation and I look
:05:37. > :05:42.forward to our good results for the citizens in our countries.
:05:43. > :05:45.TRANSLATION: Thank you very much thank you, Madame Chancellor. Ladies
:05:46. > :05:51.and gentlemen, on my side, I am very happy indeed steamy day after the
:05:52. > :05:58.handing over of powers, to be here with you in Berlin, and to have this
:05:59. > :06:06.first exchange on our future policies. You reminded people that I
:06:07. > :06:15.was elected on the 7th of May for a project which was clearly European,
:06:16. > :06:21.defending Europe, the European project and the Franco German
:06:22. > :06:27.project, not a relationship of blackmail but of trust, which is a
:06:28. > :06:37.condition of progressing Europe, to progress overall. And of course, I
:06:38. > :06:41.haven't forgotten the message of anger, of the French people, that
:06:42. > :06:47.expressed itself on the 7th of May, and which reminded us, all of us,
:06:48. > :06:54.that there are also reforms that need to be made, more effectiveness
:06:55. > :07:01.and protection with regards to certain troubles that have affected
:07:02. > :07:07.the people and the world. And so I am here today, I am happy to
:07:08. > :07:13.represent France, but with a heavy burden, a heavy task, my first task,
:07:14. > :07:18.Madame Chancellor, is to put in place the reforms that France needs.
:07:19. > :07:24.And so, the agenda will be one of reform over the next few months,
:07:25. > :07:32.social, economic and educational, as I stated during the campaign,
:07:33. > :07:38.because France needs it. Because France today, the only big country
:07:39. > :07:42.in the European Union which over the last 30 years has not been able to
:07:43. > :07:48.avoid mass unemployment. And that is what make and will do, which I will
:07:49. > :07:51.talk about tomorrow. And then we will have the Parliamentary
:07:52. > :07:56.elections as you stated, but it is in that spirit that I will ask the
:07:57. > :08:00.Prime Minister to conduct the government's policy. And then there
:08:01. > :08:06.is the need to have a Europe which is less bureaucratic and a Europe
:08:07. > :08:09.which protects, and it is with that in mind that we have had our
:08:10. > :08:18.exchanges. And you have talked about several projects in the short-term
:08:19. > :08:23.which we can discuss closely. Writes of asylum, outsourcing of jobs
:08:24. > :08:26.within the EU, these are all subjects which will have an impact
:08:27. > :08:32.on the daily lives of our citizens and companies and over which we need
:08:33. > :08:35.more pragmatism and more European realism, less bureaucracy and a
:08:36. > :08:44.Europe which protects more our citizens. Other projects, other
:08:45. > :08:53.plans, we will continue to talk about, and these are our bilateral
:08:54. > :08:59.relationships with regards to tax, biometrics, convergence, and on the
:09:00. > :09:03.educational level, and also with regards to external defence and
:09:04. > :09:09.security, international policies and these are subjects we shall continue
:09:10. > :09:18.to talk about over the coming weeks, and I'm happy that we shall have a
:09:19. > :09:21.limited committee which we will talk about between our respective
:09:22. > :09:27.governments. Finally, I am also happy that together, with our
:09:28. > :09:30.respective teams, we will be able to work for projects over the
:09:31. > :09:35.medium-term and have a common road medium-term and have a common road
:09:36. > :09:39.map for the European Union and Eurozone. These are very, very
:09:40. > :09:44.important subject, as we've seen over the last few years, and you
:09:45. > :09:50.yourself as Chancellor have managed these projects. They also have an
:09:51. > :09:58.impact on our citizens. And in-depth reforms are required and require
:09:59. > :10:03.joint action, and my desire is that over the coming weeks, we can
:10:04. > :10:08.contribute and have a Franco German road map which will allow us to
:10:09. > :10:14.progress more widely over the next few years on these subject. Our
:10:15. > :10:22.relationship needs more trust, and to have practical results. And the
:10:23. > :10:28.Franco German couple I believe needs to restate more pragmatism and
:10:29. > :10:32.voluntarism, short- and medium-term, for the European Union and for the
:10:33. > :10:41.Eurozone. And it is with this in mind that we shall work together and
:10:42. > :10:48.on my site, I will always be an honest, direct and constructive
:10:49. > :10:52.partner, because I believe that the success of our two countries is very
:10:53. > :10:57.closely related, and on that depends the whole success of Europe, and I
:10:58. > :11:00.am very attached to it. And I think you, Madame Chancellor, once again,
:11:01. > :11:08.for your welcome, and I would like to say in a spirit of responsibility
:11:09. > :11:13.and of commitment, whilst respecting republican rules and the
:11:14. > :11:31.geographical distinction shown during the presidential campaign.
:11:32. > :11:39.TRANSLATION: Madame Chancellor, Mr new French president, you have just
:11:40. > :11:47.talked about it, certain facts, Frankie Jones history, we think of
:11:48. > :11:52.the goal, she's got Distin, Helmut Kohl, Francis Mitterrand, amongst
:11:53. > :11:56.others, and so I am asking you, over the last few years, we have the
:11:57. > :12:08.feeling that the Franco German relationship had lost in density -
:12:09. > :12:11.will this density remain, do you wish to once again have a historical
:12:12. > :12:24.relationship between France and Germany? Yes. I will perhaps develop
:12:25. > :12:29.a little bit! Yes, because I believe that we are at an historical turning
:12:30. > :12:32.point in Europe as the very conditions of the French
:12:33. > :12:36.presidential elections have shown what we have seen in many European
:12:37. > :12:41.countries in the European Union, which shows us every day that there
:12:42. > :12:48.is a rise in populism, which is a direct consequence of populations
:12:49. > :13:00.that doubt that progress is mismanaged, not enough balance. We
:13:01. > :13:06.need a moment of relaunch of the creation. Of course there are
:13:07. > :13:11.difficulties, and public opinions don't have the same sensitivity. It
:13:12. > :13:15.can only be done with mutual respect, with a very close working
:13:16. > :13:19.relationship. As I believe in historical we creation, I also
:13:20. > :13:24.believe in mutual trust. I think that in order to reach that, I think
:13:25. > :13:30.that everyone needs to do what he needs to do. In France, I need to
:13:31. > :13:35.apply in-depth reforms which are necessary for our country, but also
:13:36. > :13:45.for the full restoration of the return to Franco German trust,
:13:46. > :13:49.something which Madame Chancellor needs to do so in her political
:13:50. > :13:55.life. But both of us are convinced that we need short-term results, but
:13:56. > :14:01.also real transformation and a wee creation and we founding of Europe.
:14:02. > :14:13.In any case, I am fully in, with my presidential mandate, my policy will
:14:14. > :14:19.be strong and intense and responsible between France and
:14:20. > :14:25.Germany on many subjects, a return to full confidence and trust and to
:14:26. > :14:32.have a historical relationship, where our duty in the coming years
:14:33. > :14:41.is to organise a relaunch of the Eurozone and the European Union.
:14:42. > :14:50.It is interesting that in Germany there is at the moment is very
:14:51. > :14:57.receptive audience and we have reached a point in time where many
:14:58. > :15:02.people as what we have with Europe, in Europe, and many people seem
:15:03. > :15:06.Europe is very important -- many people say that Europe is very
:15:07. > :15:10.important. Over the last few years we have somewhat lost sight of these
:15:11. > :15:15.questions and answers and the French and Dutch elections have really
:15:16. > :15:25.shown to us Germans what a treasure Europe and the European Union are.
:15:26. > :15:28.And how important the Franco German relationship is for this treasure,
:15:29. > :15:33.and I think we have reached a moment in history and we should really use
:15:34. > :15:44.this moment to show people that Europe can really be strengthened.
:15:45. > :15:50.TRANSLATION: Mr President, you certainly will have noticed earlier
:15:51. > :15:54.the small crowd that gathered in front of this chancellery, and I can
:15:55. > :16:00.tell you in the history of this building I have never seen such a
:16:01. > :16:04.scene, such a crowd, to greet foreign leader. Perhaps that was
:16:05. > :16:08.true for Barack Obama, but what was your feeling with this crowd, people
:16:09. > :16:17.who are dancing, who are singing in your honour? Is it pressure, do you
:16:18. > :16:24.feel pressure? Or do you feel strengthened? And Madame Chancellor
:16:25. > :16:28.I would like to ask you what does it mean to you to see the scenes,
:16:29. > :16:34.people literally in front of your office windows, where a few months
:16:35. > :16:44.ago Pediga and people who are enemies of the state, if you like,
:16:45. > :16:47.where they have held matches -- held marches, and all of a sudden there
:16:48. > :16:53.is this new atmosphere? TRANSLATION: First of all it is very moving for
:16:54. > :16:56.me, this joy that accompanies the victory in Berlin, it moves me,
:16:57. > :16:59.because it shows there has been a European commitment and that Europe,
:17:00. > :17:07.contrary to what people say, it is not just a question of doubt, the,
:17:08. > :17:11.Brexit, or Frexit for some, but it is the feeling of attachment that
:17:12. > :17:15.men and women feel, and it is very difficult, and it is also our
:17:16. > :17:19.responsibility to give credence to Europe. This enthusiasm. I am very
:17:20. > :17:26.attached to it, and that is how it lives. That is the reason why I take
:17:27. > :17:30.this opportunity, as I said earlier, that during this campaign I have
:17:31. > :17:37.committed myself so that we share better our linguistic world and I
:17:38. > :17:42.have decided to have bilingual classes, and that during the
:17:43. > :17:44.ministerial meeting we shall have in July, are ministers of National
:17:45. > :17:50.education will work on more elaboration, because from next
:17:51. > :17:56.September there will be bilingual classes in France, but more widely
:17:57. > :18:04.this enthusiasm beyond this time, it forces us, and I don't think it
:18:05. > :18:08.gives us strength in relation to Madame Chancellor, because she has
:18:09. > :18:11.the same obligations as myself and she has taken the initiative, when
:18:12. > :18:18.we went up to her office, to go out onto the balcony and greet me with
:18:19. > :18:22.much enthusiasm, but it forces us, because those who believe in Europe
:18:23. > :18:28.need to be able to give to other people the proof, the evidence, that
:18:29. > :18:32.this Europe works. We must have a plan every day, that without Europe
:18:33. > :18:37.we would neither have peace, nor prosperity, nor freedom, and that
:18:38. > :18:46.our continent, and in fact I would say our two countries, have never
:18:47. > :18:51.known, over many decades, so much prosperity, and there is a danger of
:18:52. > :18:55.forgetting, so beyond that it forces us to have results, forces us to
:18:56. > :19:02.have a sense of perspective, and what I wish is that in five years'
:19:03. > :19:08.time when I shall return to visit Madame Chancellor that there can be
:19:09. > :19:17.the same crowd, an even bigger one, because we will have obtained
:19:18. > :19:27.results. TRANSLATION: We have this sentence stemming from Herman Hesse
:19:28. > :19:31.and -- it says each and every departure shall have a new beginning
:19:32. > :19:36.in it, and that is the beauty. Now we have an opportunity to start
:19:37. > :19:40.working together, but of course in the knowledge that we can only
:19:41. > :19:44.accomplish something if we can also deliver results. We know about that,
:19:45. > :19:47.and that will be our guiding principle, but of course it is very
:19:48. > :19:54.encouraging when people turn up here and they support us, and they also
:19:55. > :19:57.are cheerful. I think the French president said something which moved
:19:58. > :20:02.me very much, namely that he wants for the French people to be
:20:03. > :20:08.optimistic and to look optimistically into the future. I
:20:09. > :20:21.believe this is a wish I would like to support wholeheartedly.
:20:22. > :20:38.TRANSLATION: Madame Chancellor, to relaunch Europe, as President Macron
:20:39. > :20:42.said, can we envisage a change of treaties, as Mr Macron suggested, Mr
:20:43. > :20:45.President, your Prime Minister said he is of the right. Does that mean
:20:46. > :20:56.your politics will be the politics of the right? TRANSLATION: We spoke
:20:57. > :20:59.about it briefly from the chairman perspective. It is possible to
:21:00. > :21:03.change the treaties, if that makes sense, and if it is necessary to
:21:04. > :21:11.change the Eurozone, then you can perhaps legitimise and sometimes use
:21:12. > :21:14.it as a European component, but of coarse we first need to establish
:21:15. > :21:18.what they want to do, and if a change to the treaty is necessary
:21:19. > :21:24.then I will be prepared to do just that. You cannot say, and I have
:21:25. > :21:30.always taken offence with that since we have had the Lisbon Treaty, we
:21:31. > :21:34.hear people saying, we have made such a hard effort and this treaty
:21:35. > :21:39.will never be changed in the entire lifetime of people, but of course
:21:40. > :21:45.the European Union is under attack from all corners and the world
:21:46. > :21:51.changes and we should not say we should never change the treaty. We
:21:52. > :21:57.should always ask ourselves, what is the sense? And if and when it makes
:21:58. > :22:01.sense generally we will be prepared. TRANSLATION: I must say, to be
:22:02. > :22:07.completely honest, Madame Chancellor, the subject of changing
:22:08. > :22:17.treaties used to be a French taboo subject. In my case that would apply
:22:18. > :22:22.-- won't apply and I hope the joint road map will be one that gives
:22:23. > :22:26.prospective for the Eurozone and in this process there must be
:22:27. > :22:30.institutional changes. And new treaties, we are ready for it. What
:22:31. > :22:39.counts is the political concept of the future, the terms and
:22:40. > :22:42.conditions, and if we can be convinced the concept is clear and
:22:43. > :22:48.if it requires institutional changes and it is determined, I hope it
:22:49. > :22:54.would be the case there will be no taboo as far as I am concerned. As
:22:55. > :23:01.for your second question, now we shall apply the discipline of not
:23:02. > :23:05.speaking of foreign politics outside of France. The political
:23:06. > :23:10.recomposition which I initiated a few months ago which led to my
:23:11. > :23:19.election will continue, within the framework. The framework of French
:23:20. > :23:27.people wanted, not war and not less. TRANSLATION: Mr President and Madame
:23:28. > :23:30.Chancellor, I would like to know if the desire for corporation that you
:23:31. > :23:39.have expressed, that it may not be hiding major differences. A major
:23:40. > :23:49.European act has been announced during the election campaign that
:23:50. > :23:53.sounds a bit like a free-trade agreement, in the American style.
:23:54. > :23:58.Are you afraid, Madame Chancellor, that the existing trade arrangements
:23:59. > :24:01.will be eliminated and the treaty that has been suggested or
:24:02. > :24:05.corporation that has been suggested, is it not what we already have? And
:24:06. > :24:12.would it not be better to actually link up with the Juncker plan and
:24:13. > :24:16.perhaps invest more money, and perhaps you can also eliminate one
:24:17. > :24:25.rumour here in Germany... There is a rumour that this is to be
:24:26. > :24:30.introduced... Is that a myth or a rumour, what is it? TRANSLATION:
:24:31. > :24:38.Regarding the first question, I hope we have are Europe that protects
:24:39. > :24:42.better and that from time to time there is less naivety. When I was
:24:43. > :24:44.Minister for economics and industry for several months I pushed forward
:24:45. > :24:55.the idea that the commission shortens the delays and shortens the
:24:56. > :24:57.rates for anti-dumping. It is not unfair but today Europe defends less
:24:58. > :25:03.well its workers and companies than the United States, so I wish us to
:25:04. > :25:08.improve our anti-dumping policy and I believe in free trade and
:25:09. > :25:11.international trade and fair competition, but we can believe in
:25:12. > :25:16.it without being naive, because otherwise you cannot expend it to
:25:17. > :25:21.your workers. When you workers lose their jobs, not because they are not
:25:22. > :25:25.competitive, but because they are attacked unfairly by foreign
:25:26. > :25:30.companies that apply dumping, if you tell them, Europe doesn't react, you
:25:31. > :25:38.kill the European idea. With regards to public contracts, the first stage
:25:39. > :25:41.is one which we can work with effectively together, totally
:25:42. > :25:47.compatible with our joint philosophy with regards to trade. And it is to
:25:48. > :25:52.apply reciprocity, and when we trade with the country that doesn't
:25:53. > :25:57.respect certain rules, we can have reciprocity on the subject. I think
:25:58. > :26:01.it is a pragmatism and is totally in compliance with what we can defend
:26:02. > :26:07.regarding and opening of trade. Secondly, regarding the European
:26:08. > :26:12.fund or budgetary capacity, in no way is that question of debilitating
:26:13. > :26:20.that Juncker plan, but shall state the reality. It is just an
:26:21. > :26:31.instrument of a long-term financing of debt. The Juncker plan, enabled
:26:32. > :26:37.to recover existing money from the, by using the funds of the European
:26:38. > :26:40.investment bank and markets to get financing for big projects and
:26:41. > :26:44.companies. It is very useful but in no way is it a budgetary capacity
:26:45. > :26:50.because it is not new money. What the Eurozone needs in particular is
:26:51. > :26:55.to have a voluntary policy with regards to public and private
:26:56. > :27:00.investment. And to be able to inject fresh money and to have a true
:27:01. > :27:06.budgetary capacity, and means to apply this through rules of
:27:07. > :27:10.convergence, true structural rules, because one doesn't go with the
:27:11. > :27:13.other. We need a road map to work from. And that is the reason why I
:27:14. > :27:19.have never in the project I put forward ever defended what we call
:27:20. > :27:25.the Eurobonds and what that covers in the German debate. I am not a
:27:26. > :27:35.promoter of the neutralisation of past debts. Why? It leads to a
:27:36. > :27:40.policy of making less responsible those who have made efforts, not be
:27:41. > :27:44.rewarded by others, and we have specific cases to examine in time,
:27:45. > :27:48.but what I believe is we have new investments to be made and to think
:27:49. > :27:54.about investment mechanisms for the future, and to work on more
:27:55. > :28:04.integration for the future, but in no way not neutralising or pooling
:28:05. > :28:10.the past and I want to be clear so we can progress positively.
:28:11. > :28:13.TRANSLATION: I believe there are commonalities and there may be
:28:14. > :28:20.differences but the exciting thing about Franco German cooperation is
:28:21. > :28:24.we are not by default of one view, but we come to a symbiosis and that
:28:25. > :28:27.is to the benefit of the two countries but also for the larger
:28:28. > :28:34.Europe, so we will speak about it, but regarding the trade relations,
:28:35. > :28:40.the element of reciprocity, I can well imagine that in the European
:28:41. > :28:45.Union. For example, we asked the commission to consider as to whether
:28:46. > :28:49.there may also be investments for strategic decisions, not only on a
:28:50. > :28:54.national basis, and regarding the worker directive, we will work
:28:55. > :28:59.closely together. For me it is very important what the president was
:29:00. > :29:03.just saying, namely you need coherence in terms of the legal
:29:04. > :29:13.framework, for example you could speak about the corporation tax
:29:14. > :29:20.being harmonised, being closer to each other country to country, to
:29:21. > :29:22.exchange best practices in recruitment, in the recruitment
:29:23. > :29:25.process. Every country would have their own experience and also about
:29:26. > :29:33.integration. I believe we have a lot of
:29:34. > :29:38.commonalities but also a lot of work to do. That is a matter of fact. But
:29:39. > :29:43.workers not accomplished today, but I think we have already made a good
:29:44. > :29:45.start. The good start will give us a good momentum to continue working.
:29:46. > :29:50.Thank you.