France and Germany have postponed a joint meeting of their governments after cracks emerged between the two allies on tackling the winter energy crisis.
The regular talks between President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and their ministerial colleagues will no longer take place next week as planned.
Mr Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the reasons were partly logistical, but acknowledged there were differences between Berlin and Paris and “more time” was needed to find consensus.
“There are a number of different issues that we are dealing with at the moment … on which we have not yet reached a unified position,” he told a press conference on Wednesday.
Mr Hebestreit would not be drawn on what issues were unresolved between France and Germany, whose partnership has often been described as the engine of Europe.
However, several differences have spilt into the open in recent weeks on handling the winter energy crunch.
Germany openly blamed France's reduced electricity exports for worsening the energy squeeze at home, forcing ministers in Berlin to postpone its long-planned exit from nuclear power.
France, in turn, was among the countries to react coolly to Germany's vast €200 billion ($194.5bn) bailout package, rescuing its economy in a way most EU countries could never afford.
Mr Macron called for “unity and solidarity” in an interview with Les Echos newspaper last week in which he said that “we cannot stick to national policies, because this creates distortions”.
Another rift concerns the proposed MidCat gas pipeline linking Spain to the rest of Europe. Mr Scholz is lobbying for the connection to be built, but Mr Macron is sceptical that the long construction time is worth it.
The two countries are also at odds over gas prices in the EU. France supports a Europe-wide cap, but Germany fears it would limit the bloc's ability to buy gas on the world market.
Long-standing differences over nuclear power, which France supports and Germany opposes, came back to the surface when the EU ruled that atomic energy should be classed as sustainable.
And there has been occasional grumbling in Berlin that while Germany has taken heavy criticism for stuttering military aid to Ukraine, France's support for Kyiv has not been obviously superior.
Despite the delay, Mr Scholz's spokesman said he was “very, very confident” that the regular talks, now expected in January, would not be pushed back a second time.
He said Mr Scholz and Mr Macron would still be meeting regularly, including at this week's EU summit in Brussels and possibly again in Paris next Wednesday.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
RESULTS
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
