TA3: New agreement on friendship

Vladimír Bartovic was the guest of TA3 where he commented on the anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty between France and Germany.

How important was the Treaty for the European integration process?

The treaty marked a major breakthrough in the relations between France and Germany, it was a quest for France and Germany to become partners after the centuries of rivalry. It was also very important for the European Community, the present-day EU, because it meant that France and Germany would cooperate within the framework of European integration.

The Elysée Treaty was signed in 1963, what significance does it have today?

France and Germany are the closest partners, within the European Union they are the so-called French-German engine of European integration. Since then, we can not say about Germany and France that they would have any serious disputes. What distinguishes the years 1963 and 2018 is mainly the external environment that has changed significantly. There is no Eastern block, which was the enemy of the French-German tandem. Germany is united, France is not a colonial power, the EU has 28 members, the environment in terms of scientific and technological development has changed dramatically, you have globalization. That is basically the current effort, to modernize the Elysée Treaty and adapt it to a new political, social and global reality.

The entire interview is available in Slovak language in the TA3 archive [00:00 - 6:00].