Who Really Runs the EU?
It’s 2am in Brussels. Not a sound can be heard. The narrow alleyways are dim, and the city sleeps under a blanket of stillness. At the European Council Building however, the lights shine harshly against the dark of the night. Behind towering glass walls and silent corridors, two of Europe’s most powerful leaders are engaged in a hidden backroom battle of diplomacy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are forging a deal that could redefine the very fate of the European Union. Reps from smaller member states are shut outside, their voices not heard, waiting for the final agreement to drop. Sounds like a scene from a weirdly political thriller film, right? Nope, it’s actually how EU decision making usually unfolds.
The EU loves to yap about how they’re a ‘Union of Equality’, where everyone has a say and cooperation is at the heart of what they do. But let’s be real: for years Germany and France have really been the ones calling the shots, fooling the rest of the world. Whether it’s economic policies or who gets the top jobs, the Franco-German duo often sets the agenda before anyone else even gets a word in (Moravcsik, 1998). So, here’s the million-dollar question: Are Germany and France running the EU like their own personal club? And what does that mean for the smaller countries that are just along for the ride?
Love Story or Puppeteering?
Let’s Talk History
The whole Germany-France dominance thing didn’t happen overnight. Let’s go back to the very beginning of the EU. The Treaty of Rome, that pushed for the European Economic Community, was a Franco-German project right from the very start. After their history of centuries long beef, the enemies-to-lovers decided to squash it and team up to make Europe a place where they could all live happily ever after with peace and prosperity (Dinan, 2017).
So fast-foward to 1963, when they signed the Élysée Treaty, which officially kicked off their romance with regular meetings on foreign policy, defense and other boring economic stuff. In over 50+ years, their partnership had turned into a powerhouse. 40% of the EU’s total GDP comes from Germany and France alone, giving them a whole lotta power and influence in shaping the bloc’s policies.
Money Talks, BS Walks
Since Germany bankrolls a huge chunk of the EU budget, it gives them the leverage to push for policies that work in their favor (even if it screws over smaller countries). Take for example, the Greek financial crisis in 2010. Basically Greece faced a severe debt crisis and its creditor, Germany, was imposing very strict austerity measures to get them to pay, knowing full well that they were struggling. So as a result Greece had to cut people’s wages, pensions and public spending while raising taxes just to borrow bailout money from Troika in order to pay off their debt.
Critics say that this wrecked Greece’s economy and left everyday people paying the price, all while hugely benefiting Germany. France, while not as rich as Germany, brings its own political muscle to the table. Together, they’ve shaped everything from financial rules to trade deals, often leaving smaller countries feeling left out.
Playing the (Political) Game
It’s not just about money, though. Germany and France are pros at playing the political game. After some intense negotiations with France, Germany took the win when Ursula von der Leyen (close friend of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel) was elected President of the European Commission in 2019.
Then with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the duo took control of the EU Recovery Fund, offering a whopping €750 billion package to help countries recover their economies. Smaller nations felt like they barely had a say in how the fund was designed, even though they were the ones who needed the money most. The problem is that the fund wasn’t just free money. It came with strings attached, rules and reforms that reflected Franco-German priorities, not necessarily what smaller economies wanted. Some countries pushed for more grants instead of loans, fearing they couldn’t handle more debt, but Germany was initially reluctant. Others worried that letting the EU’s biggest players shape such a major financial package would set a precedent, giving them even more control over future decisions, reinforcing the power imbalance at the heart of the EU.
The Backroom Deal Special
One of the most controversial things about the Franco-German duo is their love of backroom deals. Before big EU summits, Scholz and Macron often huddle up in private to agree on a common position. This was super obvious during the Recovery Fund negotiations, where Germany and France came in with a united front that everyone else had to swallow. Sure, it gets things done faster, but it also leaves a lot of people wondering if the whole process is fair.
Leaders or Bullies?
Eastern Europe’s Tea
Not everyone’s thrilled with the Franco-German show. Countries in Eastern Europe, like Poland and Hungary, have accused Germany and France of trying to turn the EU into a “German-led superstate”. They argue that their interests get ignored in favor of Western Europe’s priorities. A recent example is the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine.
Poland and the Baltic states have been long pushing for immediate military aid and harsh sanctions on Russia but Germany’s initial hesitation to send heavy weapons to Kyiv slowed down the EU’s response. To Poland, who had been warning about Russian aggression for years, it felt like just another example of Western Europe dragging its feet while Eastern Europe bore the brunt of the crisis.
Southern Europe’s Struggles
Southern Europe has had its own clashes with the duo too. During the 2008 financial crisis, Italy, Spain and Greece were forced to use very harsh austerity measures to stabilise their economies; slashing public services, cutting pensions, and raising taxes to qualify for EU bailout packages. All while Germany and France protect their own banks and industries, leading to accusations of hypocrisy (Stigilitz, 2016). For example, Greece’s bailout didn’t primarily go to helping the Greek, it instead went to repaying their debts back to German and French banks that invested a lot in Greece before the crash. Instead of just letting their banks take the loss for risky lending, Germany and France backed deals that indirectly saved their own financial institutions while demanding sacrifices from already struggling Southern European countries.
Then there’s the EU’s fiscal rules, which were supposed to keep the eurozone economies stable. Under the Stability and Growth Pact, EU countries must keep their budget deficits (the gap between what the government spends and what it earns in revenue) below 3% of GDP and national debt under 60% of GDP. The idea is to stop governments from overspending and collecting unsustainable debt. But here’s the catch: while Southern European countries were forced to follow these rules to the T, often at the cost of their economic recovery, Germany and France had broken them before without facing any real consequences. To many in Southern Europe, it felt like one set of rules for the powerful and another for the rest.
What’s Next for the EU?
Time for a Change?
To fix the imbalances within the EU, some people have been calling for reform to make it more democratic. One proposal is to involve the European Parliament, by giving them more legislative power and budgetary control, it would balance out the influence of Germany and France. Another idea was to tweak the Qualified Majority Voting system, which currently lets larger states dictate decisions (Hix & Høyland, 2011).
An Inner Circle Europe?
There’s also talk of a tiered EU where Germany and France lead a group of core countries into moving towards deeper integration, while others are left to follow behind. Emmanuel Macron has been very vocal about this idea, arguing in his 2017 Sorbonne Speech, that a more flexible EU is necessary to stay competitive in a tough global landscape. Although this would make decision-making more efficient, critics worry that it would create a stark divide between the wealthier Western Europe nations and the smaller or less developed countries, reinforcing Franco-German dominance.
Concluding Thoughts
So is the EU really a “union of equals” when Germany and France have been running the show for years? Backroom deals in Brussels, setting the agenda on everything from economic policy to who gets the top jobs, proves it’s anything but a fair game. Sure, their partnership has kept the EU moving forward, but at what cost? Smaller nations, especially in Eastern and Southern Europe, are fed up with feeling like they aren’t being heard.
The bottom line? The EU needs to decide what it wants to be. Is it a union where everyone has a real say, or just a club where the big guys make the rules? Germany and France might have built the EU, but it’s time to make sure it works for all 27 member states—not just the two with the most money
Who Really Runs the EU?
It’s 2am in Brussels. Not a sound can be heard. The narrow alleyways are dim, and the city sleeps under a blanket of stillness. At the European Council Building however, the lights shine harshly against the dark of the night. Behind towering glass walls and silent corridors, two of Europe’s most powerful leaders are engaged in a hidden backroom battle of diplomacy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron are forging a deal that could redefine the very fate of the European Union. Reps from smaller member states are shut outside, their voices not heard, waiting for the final agreement to drop. Sounds like a scene from a weirdly political thriller film, right? Nope, it’s actually how EU decision making usually unfolds.
The EU loves to yap about how they’re a ‘Union of Equality’, where everyone has a say and cooperation is at the heart of what they do. But let’s be real: for years Germany and France have really been the ones calling the shots, fooling the rest of the world. Whether it’s economic policies or who gets the top jobs, the Franco-German duo often sets the agenda before anyone else even gets a word in (Moravcsik, 1998). So, here’s the million-dollar question: Are Germany and France running the EU like their own personal club? And what does that mean for the smaller countries that are just along for the ride?
Love Story or Puppeteering?
Let’s Talk History
The whole Germany-France dominance thing didn’t happen overnight. Let’s go back to the very beginning of the EU. The Treaty of Rome, that pushed for the European Economic Community, was a Franco-German project right from the very start. After their history of centuries long beef, the enemies-to-lovers decided to squash it and team up to make Europe a place where they could all live happily ever after with peace and prosperity (Dinan, 2017).
So fast-foward to 1963, when they signed the Élysée Treaty, which officially kicked off their romance with regular meetings on foreign policy, defense and other boring economic stuff. In over 50+ years, their partnership had turned into a powerhouse. 40% of the EU’s total GDP comes from Germany and France alone, giving them a whole lotta power and influence in shaping the bloc’s policies.
Money Talks, BS Walks
Since Germany bankrolls a huge chunk of the EU budget, it gives them the leverage to push for policies that work in their favor (even if it screws over smaller countries). Take for example, the Greek financial crisis in 2010. Basically Greece faced a severe debt crisis and its creditor, Germany, was imposing very strict austerity measures to get them to pay, knowing full well that they were struggling. So as a result Greece had to cut people’s wages, pensions and public spending while raising taxes just to borrow bailout money from Troika in order to pay off their debt.
Critics say that this wrecked Greece’s economy and left everyday people paying the price, all while hugely benefiting Germany. France, while not as rich as Germany, brings its own political muscle to the table. Together, they’ve shaped everything from financial rules to trade deals, often leaving smaller countries feeling left out.
Playing the (Political) Game
It’s not just about money, though. Germany and France are pros at playing the political game. After some intense negotiations with France, Germany took the win when Ursula von der Leyen (close friend of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel) was elected President of the European Commission in 2019.
Then with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the duo took control of the EU Recovery Fund, offering a whopping €750 billion package to help countries recover their economies. Smaller nations felt like they barely had a say in how the fund was designed, even though they were the ones who needed the money most. The problem is that the fund wasn’t just free money. It came with strings attached, rules and reforms that reflected Franco-German priorities, not necessarily what smaller economies wanted. Some countries pushed for more grants instead of loans, fearing they couldn’t handle more debt, but Germany was initially reluctant. Others worried that letting the EU’s biggest players shape such a major financial package would set a precedent, giving them even more control over future decisions, reinforcing the power imbalance at the heart of the EU.
The Backroom Deal Special
One of the most controversial things about the Franco-German duo is their love of backroom deals. Before big EU summits, Scholz and Macron often huddle up in private to agree on a common position. This was super obvious during the Recovery Fund negotiations, where Germany and France came in with a united front that everyone else had to swallow. Sure, it gets things done faster, but it also leaves a lot of people wondering if the whole process is fair.
Leaders or Bullies?
Eastern Europe’s Tea
Not everyone’s thrilled with the Franco-German show. Countries in Eastern Europe, like Poland and Hungary, have accused Germany and France of trying to turn the EU into a “German-led superstate”. They argue that their interests get ignored in favor of Western Europe’s priorities. A recent example is the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine.
Poland and the Baltic states have been long pushing for immediate military aid and harsh sanctions on Russia but Germany’s initial hesitation to send heavy weapons to Kyiv slowed down the EU’s response. To Poland, who had been warning about Russian aggression for years, it felt like just another example of Western Europe dragging its feet while Eastern Europe bore the brunt of the crisis.
Southern Europe’s Struggles
Southern Europe has had its own clashes with the duo too. During the 2008 financial crisis, Italy, Spain and Greece were forced to use very harsh austerity measures to stabilise their economies; slashing public services, cutting pensions, and raising taxes to qualify for EU bailout packages. All while Germany and France protect their own banks and industries, leading to accusations of hypocrisy (Stigilitz, 2016). For example, Greece’s bailout didn’t primarily go to helping the Greek, it instead went to repaying their debts back to German and French banks that invested a lot in Greece before the crash. Instead of just letting their banks take the loss for risky lending, Germany and France backed deals that indirectly saved their own financial institutions while demanding sacrifices from already struggling Southern European countries.
Then there’s the EU’s fiscal rules, which were supposed to keep the eurozone economies stable. Under the Stability and Growth Pact, EU countries must keep their budget deficits (the gap between what the government spends and what it earns in revenue) below 3% of GDP and national debt under 60% of GDP. The idea is to stop governments from overspending and collecting unsustainable debt. But here’s the catch: while Southern European countries were forced to follow these rules to the T, often at the cost of their economic recovery, Germany and France had broken them before without facing any real consequences. To many in Southern Europe, it felt like one set of rules for the powerful and another for the rest.
What’s Next for the EU?
Time for a Change?
To fix the imbalances within the EU, some people have been calling for reform to make it more democratic. One proposal is to involve the European Parliament, by giving them more legislative power and budgetary control, it would balance out the influence of Germany and France. Another idea was to tweak the Qualified Majority Voting system, which currently lets larger states dictate decisions (Hix & Høyland, 2011).
An Inner Circle Europe?
There’s also talk of a tiered EU where Germany and France lead a group of core countries into moving towards deeper integration, while others are left to follow behind. Emmanuel Macron has been very vocal about this idea, arguing in his 2017 Sorbonne Speech, that a more flexible EU is necessary to stay competitive in a tough global landscape. Although this would make decision-making more efficient, critics worry that it would create a stark divide between the wealthier Western Europe nations and the smaller or less developed countries, reinforcing Franco-German dominance.
Concluding Thoughts
So is the EU really a “union of equals” when Germany and France have been running the show for years? Backroom deals in Brussels, setting the agenda on everything from economic policy to who gets the top jobs, proves it’s anything but a fair game. Sure, their partnership has kept the EU moving forward, but at what cost? Smaller nations, especially in Eastern and Southern Europe, are fed up with feeling like they aren’t being heard.
The bottom line? The EU needs to decide what it wants to be. Is it a union where everyone has a real say, or just a club where the big guys make the rules? Germany and France might have built the EU, but it’s time to make sure it works for all 27 member states—not just the two with the most money
