From commercial agreements to the auto industry, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are increasingly coordinating their efforts to shape the European Union\u2019s direction \u2014 raising concerns that French President Emmanuel Macron could be pushed to the margins.<\/p>\n
At Thursday\u2019s EU leaders\u2019 summit, the right-wing Meloni and centre-right Merz are expected to advocate a common blueprint aimed at strengthening the bloc\u2019s competitiveness.<\/p>\n
Their stance marks another step in the deepening collaboration between Rome and Berlin, prompting questions about the durability of the EU\u2019s long-standing Franco-German partnership.<\/p>\n
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n
\u201cSome observers say that 2026 will be the year of Italy and Germany,\u201d Meloni said last month at a summit with Merz in Rome.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe intend to give it our all… to consolidate a friendship that is strategic not only for our nations, but for Europe as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although the two have long shared a firm position on migration, they agreed in Rome to broaden coordination across areas ranging from trade to defence.<\/p>\n
In recent months, they have frequently found themselves on the same side of debates in Brussels.<\/p>\n
In January, after initial hesitation, Meloni ultimately endorsed the EU\u2019s trade pact with South America\u2019s Mercosur bloc \u2014 a move welcomed in Berlin.<\/p>\n
France, traditionally Germany\u2019s closest partner within the EU, sought unsuccessfully to halt the agreement, citing risks to its agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
Germany and Italy also joined forces to push for easing the EU\u2019s planned 2035 phase-out of new petrol and diesel vehicles \u2014 another initiative France opposed but failed to stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019m hearing is that the Franco-German axis isn\u2019t working; Meloni and Merz are doing their own thing together,\u201d one European diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
\u2018Parallel convergence\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Like France, both Italy and Germany were among the EU\u2019s founding members and remain key NATO allies.<\/p>\n Historically, however, Rome and Berlin have frequently clashed, particularly over fiscal matters \u2014 with Germany advocating budgetary discipline and Italy grappling with heavy debt.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n That equation has begun to shift. Meloni has worked to reduce Italy\u2019s deficit, while Merz has departed from Germany\u2019s traditional fiscal restraint by increasing borrowing and public investment.<\/p>\n In foreign affairs as well, both leaders have aimed to maintain constructive ties with US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d describe it as a parallel convergence,\u201d said Matteo Villa of Italy\u2019s ISPI think tank.<\/p>\n \u201cThe die is cast, and the time is coming when these two are more compatible than the classic France-Germany pairing,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Il Messaggero daily in an interview on Wednesday that the Italy-Germany partnership echoed the close cooperation seen at the EU\u2019s inception.<\/p>\n \u201cA new season is beginning: Italy has a leading role, it wants to be one of the locomotives of the EU,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He described Italy and Germany as the bloc\u2019s \u201ctwo most industrialised and stable countries\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018Moving Europe forward\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n French President Emmanuel Macron, whose administration has faced political turbulence since the snap elections of 2024, has dismissed claims that France is being sidelined.<\/p>\n In remarks to several European newspapers published Tuesday, he said it was \u201cnormal\u201d for Rome and Berlin to put forward joint proposals following their bilateral summit.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n \u201cThe Franco-German partnership is essential for moving Europe forward. But it is never enough on its own,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Macron pointed out that he and Meloni are due to convene their own Italy-France summit in the coming weeks \u2014 likely in April in Toulouse, according to diplomatic sources.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, relations between Macron and Merz appear to have cooled.<\/p>\n Diplomats indicate that France\u2019s efforts to derail the Mercosur agreement generated friction in Brussels and among fellow member states, including Germany.<\/p>\n At the same time, Germany is reportedly considering withdrawing from the troubled Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS) \u2014 a joint fighter jet initiative with France and Spain that has faced months of delays due to disputes between industry partners.<\/p>\n Instead, Berlin is said to be evaluating participation in Italy\u2019s Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), alongside Britain and Japan.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gaps between Paris and Berlin mean Berlin is having to look to other partners,\u201d Thomas Maddock, a fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London, told AFP.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n An editorial in Germany\u2019s Bild newspaper was even more blunt.<\/p>\n \u201cMerz knows that for Europe to have a voice internationally, he needs strong partners at his side,\u201d it wrote. It added, \u201cUnlike France, Italy is now a country with a stable government and a successful economy.\u201d<\/p>\n Also Watch<\/strong>:<\/p>\n With inputs from AFP<\/p>\n