The German and French governments are to embark on a “getting to know each other” boating and drinking trip in an attempt to repair rock-bottom relations, reports The Telegraph.
The “team-building” outing next Monday and Tuesday will see the entire French cabinet decamp to Hamburg, the fiefdom of Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor. It comes as one influential German MEP warned that poor relations between the two countries were slowing down key decisions in the EU including deals on defence in Ukraine and trade.
Ministers will take part in what the Germans call a “Klausur”, or retreat, to network involving no negotiations, formal meetings or final statements. Instead, the ministers will simply go on a boat trip, chat, notably about artificial intelligence, and “drink together” before visiting a fish market.
Both sides hope the meeting will breathe life into an increasingly fractious relationship.
It comes amid French gripes Germany has discreetly jettisoned the unwritten rule of their “couple” relations whereby the Germans call the economic shots while France takes the lead on more “strategic” areas.