During the Franco-German cabinet retreat in Hamburg on 9 and 10 October 2023, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser met with her French counterpart Gérald Darmanin. The was the first joint cabinet retreat to be held by the Franco-German Council of Ministers.

Current domestic policy issues

Both governments reaffirmed their solidarity with Israel. “We condemn the intolerable terrorist attacks by Hamas in the strongest possible terms,” Federal Minister Nancy Faeser said. Both Germany and France have increased the protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions in their countries. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that our Jewish citizens are protected,” the federal minister and her counterpart explained on the margins of the cabinet meeting.
Important domestic policy issues discussed were the fight against extremism and measures to counter disinformation. The ministers also spoke about the ongoing negotiations on the EU Pact for Migration and Asylum. Germany and France will continue to make every effort to ensure that the negotiations are completed before the elections to the European Parliament in 2024.

Mutual support during sports events and cooperation on civil protection

Both countries agreed to support each other in ensuring protection at upcoming major sporting events. For instance, the German-French operational unit (DFEE) will be deployed during the European football championship in Germany and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France.
Cooperation between the two countries in the area of civil protection has already proved successful and involves many stakeholders. National and regional authorities as well as many volunteers in France and Germany work together closely and in a spirit of trust. The aim is for this cooperation to be intensified wherever possible.

Franco-German Council of Ministers

Meetings of the Franco-German Council of Ministers serve to coordinate cooperation between the two countries at the highest political level. In a joint declaration marking the 40th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty (2003), it was decided to replace the government consultations, which had been held every six months in line with in the Élysée Treaty of 1963, with a joint council of ministers.

During the first cabinet retreat led by German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron in Hamburg, the government representatives addressed topics such as industrial transformation, social cohesion and Europe’s technological sovereignty. They analysed current issues, discussed options for taking action and developed proposals for the future of German-French cooperation.