In Search of a New Strategy of the Franco-German Tandem: Priorities for Progress

The authors explore the views on progress held by French President Emmanuel Macron and former Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It is argued that modern, effective intellectual discourses, including those in the political sphere, are always oriented towards national interests. Analyzing these discourses separately and comparing them can provide additional information about the directions in which national policy is developing and the potential for success of these different approaches. The article consists of five parts. The first one formulates the scientific problem and highlights the various ways in which progress can be interpreted. It also describes the novelty of the article, its timeframe, and potential limitations of the research. The second part research focuses on an analysis of E. Macron’s priorities for both French national and European policy. It is highlighted that the concept of balance is particularly important in this context. The concept encompasses numerous relationships at the national, sub-national, and international levels. The president is convinced that his country can successfully establish these balanced relationships and then maintain them effectively. The third part of the article is focused on O. Scholz’s idea of a harmonious process of progressive transformation, the conditions for which include an open economy, free trade, and fair competition. The fourth part is dedicated to the method of comparison. The authors conclude that there are several contradictions between ideas of E. Macron and O. Scholz. They formulate hypotheses in the fifth part of the article. The seamless transformations desired by the political elites of both countries will not occur because French and German societies are ideologically disoriented in different ways. The hypotheses presented should be considered in the context of the authors’ previous research.