France and Germany: Europe’s Monetary Odd Couple
The incompatible economic policies of France and Germany make true European monetary union difficult to achieve.
Patrick Artus
December 17, 2025
The stars of European Union (EU) membership sit on a euro sign sculpture outside the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, on Monday, March 24, 2014. German business confidence fell for the first time in five months as companies assess the risks to trade from escalating European Union sanctions against Russia. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
