MFA CABINET ADVISOR ON FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 008173

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2014
TAGS: PREL FR GM PINR EUN
SUBJECT: MFA CABINET ADVISOR ON FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONS AND
EU BUDGET

REF: PARIS 7787

Classified By: PolMC Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D).


1. Summary: FM Douste-Blazy's advisor for Franco-German
relations Heldt and German Ambassador Neubert, speaking about
German Chancellor Merkel's November 23 inaugural visit to
France, both predicted continuity in the Franco-German
relationship while emphasizing more a marriage of reason than
of passion for the famed EU couple. French officials are
reportedly relieved to have found Merkel less "liberal" than
her reputation, a misperception based largely on the fact
that she was not "well known" in France. Douste-Blazy was
reportedly the first foreign minister to congratulate FM
Steinmeier following his consultations, and all indications
are that contacts between the German and French governments
are continuing apace as before. Separately, Heldt indicated
that the MFA was currently "obsessed" with finding a solution
to the EU budget impasse, without holding out much hope that
the UK Presidency would succeed in brokering one. He
suggested it would be a mistake for PM Blair not to stop in
France, following his consultations in new member states, in
advance of the December ministerial and summit meetings. End
summary.


2. (C) Pol Deputy met November 30 with Counselor for
Franco-German relations in FM Douste-Blazy's cabinet and
German national, Christian Heldt, to explore French reactions
to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's November 23 visit to
Paris. German Ambassador Klaus Neubert provided a couple of
additional insights to Ambassador Stapleton during a December
1 meeting.

Franco-German relations
--------------


3. (C) Heldt described Merkel's visit to Paris as correct
and business-like; there were no fireworks, but nor were
there any problems. Given Merkel's cooler, analytical
nature, it was clear that her relationship with President
Chirac would never be as "affective" as that of former
Chancellor Schroeder. While it thus was clearly no longer
possible to speak about a Franco-German "axis," the overall
relationship would be marked by broad continuity, and the
Franco-German relationship would remain a key one within the
EU. Neubert also conveyed, almost offhand, a
business-as-usual approach in his enumeration of a steady
stream of high-level officials, from the German Defense
Minister to the new State Secretary for European affairs, who
were already making their pilgrimages to Paris. Citing
Germany's liberal market philosophy as another example,
Neubert stated that while France and Germany had always been
and would always be very different in many of their outlooks,
this had never prevented them from working closely together.


4. (C) Heldt nonetheless blamed the GOF for some missed
opportunities, judging that French officials and politicians
had committed a grave mistake in ignoring the CDU and Merkel
over the past two years. Although he had repeatedly argued
with his colleagues at the Quai that it would be normal for
French officials to cultivate relationships with promising
German opposition party politicians early on and on a routine
basis, his advice had largely been ignored and she was not
"well known." The one exception was Interior Minister
Nicolas Sarkozy, who regularly met with his CDU counterparts
in his capacity as president of the center-right governing
party. (Note: Merkel did meet with President Chirac, PM de
Villepin, and Interior Ministry Sarkozy in July when she
visited France in her capacity as opposition leader.) Heldt
said the lack of a longer and deeper acquaintance with
Merkel, combined with the Schroeder "propaganda machine's"
success in depicting her as a radical liberal who would flee
France's embrace for the arms of the UK, had led some French
officials to expect the worst. It was highly important that
Merkel -- reportedly after some discussion of alternatives --
finally chose Paris as her first foreign destination to send
a signal of the continuing viability and importance of the
Franco-German relationship.


5. (C) Asked about Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier's relationship with his counterpart Philippe
Douste-Blazy, Heldt responded that the two had gotten off to
an auspicious beginning. He related how he (Heldt),using
his connections in the German MFA, had succeeded in ensuring
that Douste-Blazy would be the first foreign minister to call
Steinmeier when the latter assumed his new duties. Heldt
proudly announced that, Douste-Blazy had called Steinmeier
within eight minutes of the end of the press conference that
followed his confirmation as foreign minister.

EU budget the key current concern
--------------


6. (C) Heldt volunteered at the outset of the meeting, and
returned to the point at the end of the meeting, that the
main "obsession" at the Quai at the moment was to see a
resolution of the EU budget crisis (see reftel for a fuller
discussion). He asserted that failure by the UK to find a
solution by the December EU summit would put a permanent blot
on its six-month EU Presidency, given that the opening of
accession negotiations with Turkey was its only
accomplishment to date. He contended that uncertainties
about PM Blair's authority, with Chancellor Brown waiting in
the wings, were not all that different from the weakened
domestic standing attributed to Chirac. It should not be
taken for granted that Blair would be able to deliver a
budget agreement in the end. Neubert reasoned that paralysis
in Paris and London, which made both capitals risk-averse to
any concessions, made a budget agreement unlikely.


7. (C) Pol Deputy asked Heldt if Paris had received word
that Blair also intended to travel to Paris following his
consultations among new members, assuming that he thought a
deal was in the making. Heldt responded that the Quai
currently had no information to that effect. He believed,
however, that Blair would be making a big mistake if he
failed to consult "with the major players" in advance of the
EU summit meeting.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton