The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron met for talks in Barcelona on Thursday.
The neighbouring nations took good thing about the bilateral summit to signal a friendship and cooperation treaty reinforcing ties on problems reminiscent of migration, defence and effort.
Paris is looking for to cement more potent ties with neighbours instead of Germany, significantly the ones in southern Europe, at a second when the Paris-Berlin alliance underpinning EU team spirit is appearing indicators of pressure.
The two leaders may have had a lot to discuss together with a plan to construct an enormous underwater hydrogen pipeline connecting Barcelona and Marseille that shall be key for the EU’s power independence.
Macron may be searching for Spanish enhance for his stance on a possible row with Washington involving subsidies for inexperienced power corporations.
Europe fears the plan, which is able to pour billions of bucks into climate-friendly applied sciences, will distort transatlantic industry to provide American corporations an unfair benefit.
The French chief may be hoping to enlist Olaf Scholz to his place, despite the fact that the German chancellor has up to now seemed extra susceptible against discussion than dispute with Washington.
Scholz is predicted in Paris on Sunday to mark 60 years for the reason that signing of a Franco-German post-war friendship treaty.
Domestic issues
Observers say Pedro Sánchez selected Barcelona as a venue for the summit to reveal that the disaster over Catalonian nationalism is a minimum of below keep an eye on for now.
But as though to remind him that it hasn’t long gone away, pro-independence supporters took to the streets, together with the previous Catalan vice-president and chief of the Republican Left of Catalonia, Oriol Junqueras.
Macron in the meantime has his personal issues again house.
On the similar day because the summit French industry unions staged an afternoon of national moves in protest at his plans to boost the authentic retirement age from 62 to 64.
