German Chancellor Helmut Kohl meets French President François Mitterrand within the context of Franco-German relations at the summit held from the 16th to 17th May 1983 in Paris.

‘European contacts.’ On 19 March 1984, Fritz Behrendt, a Dutch cartoonist originally from Berlin, illustrates the difficult cooperation between the Europe of Ten and paints an ironic picture of the many political divisions that are undermining the European Community. Unlike in the Middle Ages, when the conflicts between European countries were settled with weapons on the battlefield, the clashes have now turned into a political battle with blows coming from files and papers.

On 29 March 1984, German cartoonist Walter Hanel paints an ironic picture of the close cooperation between François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, and Helmut Kohl, German Chancellor, to break the deadlock on some European issues and allow the Ten to move forward. In the background, Federal Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, gesturing ‘V’ for victory, supports the action of the two leaders, who are trying to put a smile back on the face of a Europe that is suffering and in a wheelchair.

On 25 June 1984, the Spanish daily newspaper El País analyses what is at stake at the European Summit of the Ten in Fontainebleau.

Meeting of the Heads of State or Government of the 10 Member States of the European Communities at the Fontainebleau Summit of 25 and 26 June 1984.

On 26 June 1984, the Conclusions of the Presidency on the work of the Fontainebleau European Council lay down new guidelines for the revival of European cooperation and define the framework for a People’s Europe.

On 26 June 1984, François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic and President-in-Office of the European Communities, reviews the Fontainebleau European Council and answers journalists’ questions.

On 25 June 1984, reporting on the opening of the European Council in Fontainebleau, the British left-wing newspaper The Guardian takes the view that the time has now come for the disagreements between the UK Government and its European partners to be set aside.

On 27 June 1984, the French newspaper Le Figaro examines the results of the arduous Fontainebleau European Council.

In June 1984, the federalist magazine L’Europe en Formation expresses its satisfaction with the results achieved by the Ten at the end of the Fontainebleau European Council of 25 and 26 June 1984, with particular regard to budgetary resources and the revision of the treaties.

‘The new European beat.’ As the Fontainebleau European Council takes place on 25 and 26 June 1984, German cartoonist Walter Hanel portrays the influence of François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic and President-in-Office of the European Council, and Helmut Kohl, German Chancellor, in resolving the budgetary problem and reviving the debate on an institutional reform of the European Communities. In the background, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

On 28 June 1984, the French daily newspaper Le Monde sums up the efforts made by the Heads of State and Government during the Fontainebleau European Council concerning a re-launch of European integration.

In September 1984, in an article in the Dutch journal Internationale Spectator, Edmund P. Wellenstein, former Director-General for External Relations of the European Commission, analyses the outcome of the Fontainebleau European Council held on 25 and 26 June 1984.

In this interview, Élisabeth Guigou, Technical Adviser to the President of the French Republic from 1982 to 1988, emphasises the importance of the Fontainebleau European Council of 25 and 26 June 1984, held during the French Presidency of the Council of the European Communities.