22 January 2013: the 55° anniversary of the Elysée Treaty

Macron Merkel © Gianfranco Uber

Comment from Gianfranco Uber: “Macron receives Merkel at the Elysée. For Europe’s recovery plans, Merkel’s support is needed by President Macron. The current weakness of the Chancellor could be an obstacle, but “at the same time” (President Macron’s favorite expression) do not displease the ambitious French president.”

55th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty (Franco-German friendship): 22nd January 1963

On 22 January 1963, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and President Charles De Gaulle signed the Franco-German Treaty of Friendship at the Elysée Palace in Paris, the fundamental basis of the Franco-German partnership, which has since been the driving force behind Europe.
https://www.france-allemagne.fr/Traite-de-l-Elysee-22-janvier-1963.html
This friendship has been reinforced by several French-German “couples”: Helmut Schmidt and Valery Giscard D’Estaing, François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, and then experience ups and downs. The election of Emmanuel Macron seems to revive this friendship and especially the desire to advance the European Union towards a deepening, despite differences of vision and the current political weakness of the Chancellor. The presence of the SPD and Martin Schulz – very pro-European – in the Gross Koalition, if it arrives safely, could allow this recovery to materialize.
The proof is the common message launched, precisely on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, where the couple Macron-Merkel appears (even a little stiff) as a real couple.

https://www.facebook.com/EmmanuelMacron/videos/2095573617341880/

Calling all pro-Europeans: for the sake of Europe: let’s marry them!

So, why not, for the sake of Europe to marry them, as proposed by the little satirical film realized by the NGO “Europeans Without Frontiers” created by Philippe Cayla, entitled “A Royal Couple”

The Film « Un couple royal » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_6rCWa0Tzk

About the association “Europeans without borders” (ESF)

ESF (Européens sans frontières), was created in 2012 to promote European citizenship and the sense of belonging of European citizens to a community of destiny. After launching a European citizens’ initiative in 2013, “Let me vote“, ESF launched in 2014 a citizen mobilization campaign for the European elections, in the form of video clips of testimonies from artists and personalities from the cultural world: “Rock the Eurovote”.
Since 2015, ESF has decided to focus its communication on short animated films. If, as the late Umberto Eco said, “the language of Europe is translation”, ESF completes: “the face of Europe is animation”. In this spirit ESF produces animated films following two editorial lines, one educational and the other humorous.

1) Educational editorial line
In June 2015, was launched the competition “Europeman, help! » a competition of Graphic design for an animated film with students of animation schools, on the theme of European citizenship. Mégane Lepage was the winner. The second edition of the competition, in 2016, named “Eurodame, help!” was dedicated to the theme of refugees and migrants. The jury selected the work of Giacomo Lezzerini. There is an English version with the sub-tapes in Italian. The 3rd edition was launched on the occasion of the Annecy festival in June 2017, based on the theme of the euro, “Eurofort, help!” The film will be realized between late 2017- and early 2018 and diffused around May 9, 2018.

2) Satirical editorial line
ESF has also embarked on the production of satirical animated films, always to reach a young audience, caricaturing European heads of state and government in European political situations. In 2016, ESF produced the film “The gloomy aftermath of Brexit” broadcasted before the referendum on Brexit. In the same spirit ESF produced, in 2017, a film about the Franco-German couple, named “A royal couple“. This film is the pilot of the EUROCARTOON project to produce 26 short animated films to be broadcast on the occasion of the 2019 European elections.

Website ESF :
http://www.europeenssansfrontieres.eu/fr/
– Film « Rock the Eurovote » (2014)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBmecLbh60Y2bUDlkMRnaWDog4T05vgu_
– Film « Europeman, Help ! » de Mégane Lepage (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7XTTfBQadQ&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7XTTfBQadQ
– Film « Eurodame, help ! » de Giacomo Lezzerini (2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffZdZUQAT1w>
In English, con sottotitoli in Italiano :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3q4UMH3zo>
– Film satirique « The gloomy aftermath of Brexit », in English (2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja2Wdz_3zsQ