Can the Franco-German couple still lead the European project?

Blog post, 28/01/2026, by Sven Franck (en français , in Deutsch) -

TL;DR – France and Germany, the two motors of the European project, find themselves at a crossroads: real European integration could be a remedy against the far right at home and the threats posed by Putin and Trump. But a stronger Europe would also mean for France and Germany to take a step back. Why should they?

Politics is lagging behind public opinion

The people have understood the urgency. A recent poll shows that, in most Member States, a European army is preferred over national forces and even NATO forces. The people want integration and cooperation, but the French-German reality is different: if there is political will, as in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) project, industry partners bicker over leadership. And most of the time, there is not even political will, as for the commitment to 5% NATO spending or the 100B€ Germany wants to invest in defence - none of this will be spent on a European army but on national level, meaning a further renationalisation of the European project.

Can we imagine the United States as a geopolitical power with 50 armies, 50 foreign policies and 50 defence ministries? Because this is what national governments prefer. Worse, we are not rearming Europe, but nations, many of them at risk of falling to nationalist parties. What if in the near future, the US decides to leave a Europe led by right-wing governments armed to the teeth and the European project taking a back seat? We’ve been there twice.

A European origArmy?

So while France and Germany can comfortably talk about a “stronger Europe”, the situation is very different in smaller member states. Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia and even Ireland for example each have only around 7,000 active military personnel - nowhere enough to feel secure.

There are 20 Member States in the Euro area and 23 in Schengen: it is not necessary to do everything with 27. As in an origami, smaller member states could create the first “foldings” and outline of a future larger structure - common platforms, joint procurement, a chain of command and why not an Erasmus military service. With a working nucleus, other member states could be convinced to join: the Benelux countries, Spain and Portugal, maybe Scandinavian countries.

Because whether military integration or federalisation of the European Union in general: nowhere is it written that it cannot be smaller member states that define the next chapter of the European project. If France and Germany hesitate, maybe it’s time for smaller member states to step up. Who dares to #jumpstartEU?