The French Strategy of the Saarland. A German Federal State on the Way to a Living European Multilingualism
With the France Strategy, Saarland set out in 2014 to become an efficient multilingual German-French region within a generation.
French is to join German as a lingua franca and be complemented by English and other foreign languages.
With the motto “More languages - more opportunities”, the state, which is particularly marked by the Franco-German reconciliation, began to further deepen its European orientation. It is thus becoming the only multilingual state in the Federal Republic of Germany and a reference region for living European multilingualism.
How can such a fundamental process of change succeed for an entire region? How will it be possible for a proposal by the state government to ultimately become a project for society as a whole that is supported and driven forward by the population, the economy, local authorities, institutions and organizations? What progress is being made on the path to multilingualism and how is it being achieved? What remains to be done and in which areas do efforts need to be intensified? What further perspectives are emerging?
The text provides answers to these questions and shows how, through the proposal of a strong vision for the future and continuous participatory processes, movement and change ultimately emerge throughout the country and all social groups in great breadth jointly shape a concrete development and future goal for the region from the vision - with political and economic success not only in the local, regional and cross-border context, but also at the national, European level and beyond.
Christine Klos works as Head of the Department for Europe, International Cooperation, France and France Strategy in the Saarland State Administration since 2012.
Karl Terrollion is Head of the Saarland Liaison Office in Paris since 2019, responsible for regional partnerships and Franco-German cooperation (“France Strategy”) within the Saarland Department for European Affairs.
This publication is available the following languages (pdf):
- FRENCH: "La « Stratégie France » de la Sarre : un Land sur la voie d’un plurilinguisme européen en action".
- GERMAN: "Die Frankreichstrategie des Saarlandes. Ein deutsches Bundesland auf dem Weg zu einer gelebten europäischen Mehrsprachigkeit".
Author(s)
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programs
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
Find out more
Discover all our analyses
Friedrich Merz and the Zeitenwende 2.0. A “New Era” for Transatlantic Relations?
On February 23, 2025, almost 60 million voters were called upon to elect a new Bundestag. These elections will also give rise to a new government in Europe's largest economy.
After the Elections: Germany in Search of Shaken Stability?
With a voter turnout of 82.5%, Germany recorded its highest participation since 1987—an increase of 6.1 percentage points compared to 2021. As in the previous election, the high turnout particularly benefited the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was able to mobilize many former non-voters. Many voters sought to punish the outgoing government with their ballots, as its approval rating had dropped to just 14% before the coalition broke apart in November 2024. Germany is now very likely heading toward a grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD, with exploratory talks having begun on February 28.
The German Greens as an Alliance Party: The End of an Illusion?
At the Wiesbaden Congress in November 2024, Robert Habeck, currently Minister for the Economy and Climate, was nominated as the Green Party’s candidate for the Chancellorship in the early parliamentary elections on February 23, 2025. The party, founded 45 years ago, is now firmly established in the German political landscape. Wishing to turn the page on an unloved ‘‘traffic light’’ coalition, the party is banking on a personal campaign and an optimistic discourse based on the energy transition and social justice.
The rise of the AfD and the choice of radicalism
Founded in 2013, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has become increasingly radical as crises have unfolded. Since 2015-2016 and the massive influx of immigrants into Germany, it has positioned itself as a virulently anti-migrant party and continues to consolidate its foothold in the German political system, particularly in parliaments. While its roots are very strong in the eastern regions, where its main strongholds are located, it is also attracting more and more voters in the west, against an overall backdrop of normalization of the far right and a national context marked by strong economic and political destabilization.