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