Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  DIPLOMATIC TIMES /   German Ambassador to the United States Emily Haber and  Philippe Etienne,  French Ambassador to the U.S. discuss the Future of Europe Jan. 22, 2020 at Center For Strategic & International Studies in Washington D.C. 

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

WASHINGTON  DC  – The European Union will continue to have a relationship with the United Kingdom once Brexit is complete,  the German Ambassador and the French Ambassador to the United States said.  Germany’s U.S. ambassador  Emily Haber and  Philippe Etienne,  French Ambassador to the U.S. made the assurance while speaking at recent forum discussing the Future of Europe: French and Germany Perspectives in Washington D.C.   The Center For Strategic & International Studies CSIS  hosted a conversation with the German and French Ambassadors January 22 to discuss challenges facing the European Union the coming decade.  Both diplomats agreed that the Trans-Atlantic relationship with the U.S. is key as Europe navigates a multitude of issues ranging from Brexit, migration, climate change, cyber security and terrorism. 

“We need all our collective strengths in order to stand our ground on our interests and values. If you look at that, it is also true that the past 11 years have been much impacted by your crisis and then the migration crisis, and BREXIT. The Euro crisis and the migration crisis is evident in the populist movement, but also the paradox that both crises have led to loss of confidence, but at the same time, they have strengthened the governance structures which existed and which have been shored up as a consequence and actually protected Europe and the world from the huge crisis that was, for example, the difference between the Great Depression of 1929 everyone was left to their own devices-1929, and the (Great) Recession of 2008 when we were protected by governments.  Americans need to understand that it is wrong to extrapolate from the crisis and today, European elections, all European polls will show you the European cause has become more popular and public engages much more than it used to.”

-German Ambassador to the U.S. Emily Haber.

FRANCO-GERMAN Treaty of 2019

The German-French relationship has undergone changes leading up to the Franco-German Treaty which was concluded last year, ambassador Haber noted.  “But it has always been at the heart of the European Union. But it has been in the past and still is hugely important for the rest of the EU that two large countries with different traditions, histories, and vantage points try to bridge divides, differences, which we do, and are very good at. I would say that in the past decade, the  French tradition of –incremental approach has been more the German thing. It is a good thing because we need both.” 

European – Trans Atlantic Relationship 

“Now, where does that leave the TransAtlantic Relationship? The United States is our closest ally outside the European Union,” the German ambassador said.  “Along with Britain, once the U.K. leaves the European Union.  The world is changes. The balance is changing. The hope is that is changing because the status quo are not being challenged in Europe, They are challenged elsewhere. This would mean Europe will have to adapt. Countries in Europe will have to adapt. A larger share for NATO in terms of defense budgets. It can only be in the American interest that Europe- The European Union is strengthening. Carrying part of the burden there as well. … please don’t forget that the European Union has replaced centuries of war, which in the last century has triggered an American involvement that cost many, many American lives.  My second point is to realize that the European Union is not a bloc that is pitted against American interest. And it is not every single member of the EU feels aligned to your interests and your values. So, see us as a strategic asset and not as something else. Even if we disagree, and usually we disagree on tactics. We don’t disagree on strategies. We don’t disagree on what we want to stand for. We don’t disagree on values. We are probably in the world the most aligned partner, Canada aside, that you have.”  

The German ambassador added:

“Diplomatic efforts of the European Union and Germany and France within the European Union have played a role – large role. In all of this, the Trans Atlantic relationship is Key. Not only in security terms, but beyond security paradigms, ranging from dealing with the climate crisis to handling the challenges of digitization. All of these are problems no country can solve on its own. We would be infinitely weaker on our own, where we need collective power standing our ground and for leveraging.”

FRANCE   Greatful to Americans For Supporting French During World War II:  Ambassador Etienne

“The relation with the United States. France and Germany in different ways are very close allies of the United States. We are greatful to the Americans who have supported us through World War II, the creating of the European Union. Germany and France remain in cooperation. The friendship. One of the big- the most important- for us as the European Union is to cope with global challenges outside Europe and also inside Europe.  They are linked because  our citizens need to be convinced that we are up to the task. Not only  our nation, but the European Union. We have built the most important regional market, which is something of an incredible value for our economy.  But also for businesses. We have succeeded to have a common currency. We have started a new monetary union. We have succeeded to extend the European Union to countries which had suffered from Soviet domination. Those are incredible successes. We have resisted the financial crisis. We have created some extremely powerful mechanisms of financial solidarity to face this financial crisis. We succeeded in getting breakthroughs in the building up of the economy. Now we have these tests. We are in this new world. There is a number of global challenges which we have to give answers to.”

-France Ambassador to U.S. Etienne

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  DIPLOMATIC TIMES /   German Ambassador to the United States Emily Haber and  Philippe Etienne,  French Ambassador to the U.S. discuss the Future of Europe Jan. 22, 2020 at Center For Strategic & International Studies in Washington D.C. 

Migration Crisis A Wake up Call for Germany

“In 2015, I was a secretary in the Interior Ministry. It was the height of the migration crisis. What I witnessed at the time was this disconnect between what happened and in Germany it was 10,000, 12,000 people crossing the border  everyday. Between how people felt about it, concerned, worried, enraged, positive, and between what governments could actually do about it. The disconnect  was realized at the time, because governments would say we will have to solve this problem, but you see, we have to solve it by the European Union, because we have open borders in Europe. The external borders are relevant, so we cannot do it on own. We will have to negotiate with Turkey and with other countries, people said. But we want our governments within Germany and within German borders to be accountable for what happens European government structures are neither here nor there. Disconnect was hugely important. What I realized at the time, and actually, the financial crisis, even better before that. You don’t make people understand that compromises or European governance structures or European law is actually there to protect the citizens, which is the case.”

-German Ambassador to the U.S. Emily Haber 

On the  U.K. Leaving The European Union Impact of Security:

“To lose such an important member state in the United Kingdom it is a loss for everybody. It is clear it is a loss for the European Union. But it was  a decision taken by the United Kingdom, so we have negotiated the withdrawal agreement. Now,  it is up to us, the U.K. and the EU to make a future relation. To the defense dimension, we can make a trade dimension with security.  Those are probably the most important items. From a French perspective, of course, you know we have a strong marriage or relations with the U.K. and our president proposed before the last U.S. elections to keep strong relations with the EU and the UK as not being anymore a member of the EU.  It will depend on the positions of all  of us, but we have to negotiate it in a way which ensures flexibility of all of us, both the U.K. and the EU.”

-France Ambassador to U.S. Etienne

Emily Margarethe Haber has been German Ambassador to the United States since June 2018.

 Immediately prior to this, Haber, a career foreign service officer, was deployed to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, serving as State Secretary overseeing security and migration at the height of the refugee crisis in Europe. In this capacity, she worked closely with the US administration on topics ranging from the fight against international terrorism to global cyberattacks and cybersecurity. In 2009, she was appointed Political Director and, in 2011, State Secretary at the Foreign Office, the first woman to hold either post. Earlier in her career, she served at the German Embassy in Ankara; in Berlin, she has served as Deputy Head of the Cabinet and Parliamentary Liaison Division, as Director of the OSCE Division, and as Deputy Director-General for the Western Balkans. Emily Haber has extensive knowledge of the Soviet Union and Russia, having worked both in the Soviet Union Division at the German Foreign Office and, on various occasions, at the German Embassy in Moscow, where she served as Head of the Economic Affairs Section and Head of the Political Affairs Department.

Philippe Etienne – Ambassador of France to the United States,  previously held numerous posts within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, notably including Ambassador of France to Romania (2002-2005), Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (2007-2009), Permanent Representative of France to the European Union (2009-2014), Ambassador of France to Germany (2014-2017) and most recently, Diplomatic Adviser to the President (2017-2019).   Etienne is an expert on the European Union and continental Europe. He has held posts in Moscow, Belgrade, Bucharest, Bonn, Berlin and Brussels. He has also served as an adviser in the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on several occasions.  A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (“Voltaire” Class, 1980),   He speaks English, German, Spanish, Russian and Romanian.