The German government anticipates a continued consolidation course in neighboring France, regardless of the outcome of Prime Minister François Bayrou’s impending confidence vote on Monday.
State Minister for Europe at the Foreign Office and Coordinator for German-French Cooperation, Gunther Krichbaum (CDU), articulated this expectation in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel” referring to the recent Council of Ministers meeting in Toulon. He emphasized the importance of European political continuity, even with a potential new government in Paris, particularly given recent efforts to resolve atmospheric tensions. Krichbaum suggested that a new Prime Minister would be compelled to address the nation’s budget deficit due to increasing pressure from financial markets.
Former EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger (CDU) expressed concern regarding a potential new Euro crisis originating from France if planned budget cuts are not implemented. He cautioned that a prolonged transition to a new Parisian government could necessitate working with a budget projecting a deficit of nearly six percent, potentially triggering market instability.
Anton Hofreiter (Greens), Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, acknowledged the democratic shifts in France as “completely normal” but warned against the repercussions of the nation’s current polarization. He added that a rise in political uncertainty potentially benefiting far-right figures like Marine Le Pen would pose a threat to Europe as a whole.