The role of the Franco-German Cultural Plenipotentiary as mediator between France and Germany
Participation for EU staff from Brussels and ministerial officials from the Permanent Representations to the EU, ministerial officials from the EU Member States/candidate countries and interested parties
60 years ago, the French President Charles de Gaulle and the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed a treaty about the bilateral cooperation between France and Germany, better known as the
Élysée Treaty.
This treaty forms the fundament of a friendship between Germany and France and represents an important pillar of European integration. The intention was to create a European construction in which cooperations in the fields of economics, defence, foreign policy and culture are central. At the same time, the Franco-German reconciliation was enshrined. The signing of the Elysée Treaty initiated a reorganisation of the relationship between France and Germany and furthermore the cooperation at all levels were deepened. Even today, 60 years after the signing, the Franco-German friendship is a major driving force for the European integration process.
In Germany, the federal states are responsible for education and culture, therefore the office of the "
Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany for Cultural Affairs under the Treaty on Franco-German Cooperation" was created as part of the Élysée Treaty. With the rank of a Federal Minister, the Plenipotentiary for Cultural Affairs represents the interests of the federal government and the 16 federal Länder in cultural and educational matters towards France. Since January 1st 2023,
Anke Rehlinger,
Minister-President of the Saarland, is the current mandate holder and will be for the next four years.
Together with the Representation of Saarland to the EU, the Europanetzwerk Deutsch invites you to a moderated online discussion with Anke Rehlinger, Minister President of Saarland and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany for Cultural Affairs under the Treaty on Franco-German Cooperation, and
Dr. Claire Demesmay,
European Visiting Professorship (Cluster for European Research) at the University of Saarland. The discussion will focus on the responsibilities of the Plenipotentiaries' four-years term, as well as on the current term of office. The current status and perspectives of Franco-German relations will also be discussed.
The online discussion will take place on zoom on the 10th of July from 12:30 to 01:30 o’clock.
You are kindly requested to reply by the 05th of July 2023:
europanetzwerk.deutsch-bruessel@goethe.de
After your registration, the zoom link will be sent to you.
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