Blueprint for German coalition would back Macron’s AI research push

The collation blueprint agreed last week between German chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats led by former MEP and former president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, presses for more research joint with France in artificial intelligence.

The 28-page position paper, which sets the outline for a prospective government, says that Germany and France “should be an engine of innovation”, in particular by partnering on “projects such as research into artificial intelligence.” This echoes Macron’s call last September for Europe to become a champion in the AI field and is the first substantive response to his EU reform proposals.

 However, the document makes no mention of Macron’s suggestion of creating a European Innovation Agency, modelled on the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, to help the continent keep pace with technological discovery in China and the US.

In remarks last week, Macron promised that planning for the agency, which may be run by EU member states, “will make progress in the coming months.” Such progress will probably depend on whether political support can be built in Berlin.

Germany’s centre-right CDU and its Bavarian CSU ally have been unable to form a government since the inconclusive election in September 2017.  

Social Democrat leaders must sell the coalition vision to party members at a special party conference on January 21 before moving ahead with formal negotiations. The final proposal must then be voted on by all 450,000 SPD members.