Strains increasingly evident in the EU's.........>

EU: Strains increasingly evident in the EU's increasingly important

Franco-German foreign policy relationship following remarks from a frustrated

Angela Merkel aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron. 

- At a dinner on Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall

Merkel said to Macron "I understand your desire for disruptive politics, but I'm

tired of picking up the pieces {...} I have to glue together the cups you have

broken so that we can then sit down and have a cup of tea together."

- Comes after Macron called NATO "brain dead" in an interview, a view swiftly

rebuffed by the German gov't. Today Foreign Minister Heiko Maas argued that NATO

is "alive, head to foot, even if there are other diagnoses".

- Tensions could come to a head at the 3-4 Dec NATO gathering of leaders in

London, where Macron has stated, "I cannot sit there and act like nothing has

happened," with regards to Turkey and the US' recent actions in Syria. 

- With UK edging towards the EU exit door, and the US acting an an 'America

first' basis, Fra-Ger foreign policy decisions will be crucial in determining

major 'Western' response to geopolitics going forward.