From the AP: Symbols aside, as much as Sarkozy and Merkel might like to emphasize the privileged nature of the Franco-German couple, ties between the countries are no longer what they used to be – and pushing the restart button over and over again does not guarantee a smooth ride.

“Both sides’ sense of the relationship has been lost,” said Josef Janning, senior director of the Bertelsmann Foundation. The two countries used to be at ‘the core of bargaining’ in the European Union, but “currently, nobody really knows what the purpose” of the relationship is, Janning said…

In her first speech Wednesday to the German parliament since winning a second term as chancellor, Merkel said she wanted to pursue a broad security dialogue with Russia. She did not mention France or the Franco-German relationship in the speech. (photo: AFP)