Germany and France "clash" over military project - Merz demands respect for previous pact on division of labor
Germany and France are facing difficulties in organizing work on the new fighter jet project. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling for the previous pact to be respected to avoid possible delays.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said France and Germany should stick to previous agreements on the configuration of the joint Franco-German FCAS fighter jet project. The comments came after it was reported earlier this week that France now wants to participate in 80 percent of the work.
The project, worth more than 100 billion euros, has been plagued by delays and disputes over the division of labor and copyright. The leaders of Europe's two largest economies are expected to meet in Berlin later this month, Reuters reports.
"I am fully determined to remain faithful to the agreements we have made with France and Spain regarding the aircraft," Merz said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The French company Dassault Aviation, as well as Airbus and Indra, representing Germany and Spain, are part of the project to replace the French Rafale and the German and Spanish Eurofighter aircraft with fifth-generation combat vehicles starting in 2040.
However, Merz acknowledged that there are still differences of opinion on how the consortium should be composed. "The issues related to the different views on the composition of the consortium have not yet been resolved. But I am convinced that we will succeed," he said.
France has told Germany it wants to have about 80 percent of the work split, a defense industry source said. If Paris does not drop this demand, then the division of labor as previously agreed by the parties will be canceled, the source said. According to him, the differences that would arise between the partners would make it impossible for the project to move to the next phase, as planned by the end of this year.
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