Talking Point teams up with BBC World Service's Europewide programme to discuss what the future holds for the alliance between Germany and France at the heart of the European Union.

To listen to the Europewide debate click here

This week, Chancellor Kohl of Germany and the French President, Jacques Chirac, hold one of their twice-yearly meetings.

But it couldn't come at a more awkward time.

The two men have just emerged from a weekend of heated debate about who should head the new European Central Bank.

It is a row which goes to the core of how the European Union is run, and which found the two long-time allies on opposing sides.

Chancellor Kohl has dismissed suggestions that the row is a serious threat to the Franco-German alliance. He said "With friends you can talk about everything, even if you disagree This will change nothing in the German-French friendship."

His country's press however would seem to disagree. It says "Chirac lied" and that in the Franco-German relationship "crisis management is no longer functioning."

What do you think?

Is the Franco-German partnership dead?

Worse arguments have not derailed alliances but then again less serious ones have....
Julian Griffiths, UK

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