Historically, the Franco-German “couple” provided a justification for the European project, and for the Europe that emerged from the collapse of the bipolar order.
Germany (Cerfa)
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was founded by an intergovernmental treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic in 1954. It has analyzed relations between the two countries for over 60 years. The Cerfa engages in a wide range of activities. It promotes the Franco-German debate and policy-oriented research through conferences and seminars that bring together experts, policy-makers, decision-makers and civil society representatives of both countries.
The Cerfa publishes regularly books reflecting on the current state of Franco-German relations and two research note series – Notes du Cerfa and Visions franco-allemandes – that target primarily French decision-makers, with the aim of elucidating political, economic and social evolutions in contemporary Germany, and closely following current developments in Franco-German relations.
The Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think-tanks, including the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Heinrich Böll Foundation, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), Genshagen Foundation, French-German Institute (DFI), and German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
Through its successive interactive and ad hoc cooperation programs, the Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation:
- In the year 2021, the Cerfa started a Program on Multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program aims at creating a Franco-German network bringing together young professionals interested in the topic of multilateralism in the context of their work. It consists in working sessions based on briefings and workshops with selected experts and practitioners covering a broad range of issues relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament.
Previous initiatives:
- The Franco-German Future Dialogue co-organized by the Cerfa together with the DGAP and with the support of the Bosch Foundation aimed at creating a new Franco-German generation by developing exchanges and debates between French and German young professionals and PhD students.
- The Daniel Vernet Group (formerly the Franco-German group of reflection) had been founded in the Fall of the year 2014 at the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
Secretary General of the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
...Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
...Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
...Assistante
Counselor on Franco-German relations at Ifri
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Germany: The Power Out of Phase in: L'Allemagne, 30 ans après - 1989-2019 / Hérodote 4/2019, No. 175
Germany has enjoyed a decade of sustained economic growth, benefiting from a very low unemployment rate and considerable trade and budgetary surpluses. This phase is now coming to an end. Some even believe that the German economic model needs to be rethought.
Under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, France has set itself the goal of strengthening its international presence, being more proactive and defining the European reform agenda. However, the French room for manoeuver is limited.
Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, celebrations have taken a disappointing turn. The electoral successes of the far-right German party AfD (Alternative for Germany (in German: Alternative für Deutschland)) in Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia in...
The German Legislation on Improving Law Enforcement in Social Networks (Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz – NetzDG), which came into force on October 1, 2017, is the legislative response to how social networks handle complaints about illegal content.
RAMSES 2020. A World without a Compass?, written by Ifri's research team and external experts, offers an in-depth and up-to-date analysis of geopolitics in today’s world.
While international multilateralism is under strain, it is vital for France and Germany to defend it, since it is the most appropriate system for preserving their interests – particularly in terms of welfare, security, prosperity and environmental protection. Against this backdrop, three...
Whether we think of France, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria or Germany, the social democratic or socialist parties in Europe are losing ground or even facing dissolution. Ironically, the crisis of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) began with the resounding victory of...
The eighth position paper of the Daniel Vernet Group addresses immigration, integration and cohesion in Europe where migration is often perceived as a threat to cohesion within societies and also among states. In the paper, the Daniel Vernet Group argues that migration and cohesion are not...
In Germany, an important role is ascribed to development policy when considering the question of how to deal with the causes of displacement and irregular migration. Development policy seeks to enable (potential) migrants to enjoy brighter prospects in their countries of origin through job...
Patrick Keller (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung) and Christopher S. Chivvis (RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center) participated in the seminar “Germany, France and the United States: Towards a Renewed Transatlantic Dialog?” which took place on November 17 and 18,...
Sébastien Jean (Centre d’Etudes Prospectives et d’Informations Internationales), Claudia Schmucker (German Council of Foreign Relations) and Jeffrey J. Schott (Peterson Institute for International Economics) participated in the seminar “Germany, France and the United States:...
Fyodor Lukyanov (Russia in Global Affairs) and Thomas Graham (Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Yale University) participated in the seminar “Germany, France and the United States: Towards a Renewed Transatlantic Dialog” which took place on November 17 and 18, 2014 at...
Frank Umbach (European Centre for Energy and Resource Security, King’s College London) participated in the seminar “Germany, France and the United States: Towards a Renewed Transatlantic Dialog” which took place on November 17 and 18, 2014 at the French Institute of...
The Franco-German Study Committee (Cerfa) and the Russia/NIS Center of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) have organized a closed seminar and interviews about the "German, French, Polish and Russian Views on Russia’s Foreign Policy".