Celebrating the Élysée Treaty at Eurocampus: a living partnership in action

by Julien Ferrandon, Academic Director, GESM

On 22 January 2026, the Eurocampus community came together to celebrate the anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, signed 63 years ago. This landmark agreement laid the foundations for lasting friendship, reconciliation, and cooperation between France and Germany, and continues to shape their partnership today.

This year’s celebration was especially meaningful. Throughout the day, students from both schools took part in a rich programme of arts, music, sports, and parlour games, carefully designed for different age groups. These activities were the result of close collaboration between colleagues from both institutions, who planned together and demonstrated how shared vision and cooperation can give rise to vibrant and meaningful educational experiences.

The event unfolded in a lively and welcoming atmosphere, with German, French, and English spoken all across the campus. This natural multilingual exchange reflected the true spirit of the Eurocampus, which was first established here in Manila — the very first Eurocampus in the world. Since then, five official Eurocampuses have opened in other countries, with the most recent inaugurated in Malaysia in 2025. Students and teachers at Eurocampus Manila continue to set the example of how cross-cultural cooperation can thrive in practice.

Beyond the festivities, the celebration carried strong symbolic significance. France and Germany remain leading partners within the European Union, and their cooperation has been central to promoting shared values such as the rule of law, sovereignty, freedom, and democratic dialogue. In this context, we were honoured to welcome the French and German Ambassadors to the Philippines, H.E. Marie Fontanel and H.E. Andreas Pfaffernoschke, who met with senior high school students from both schools. During this exchange, students asked thoughtful and insightful questions about current global developments and Europe’s role in a changing world. The ambassadors expressed how impressed they were by our students’ engagement, curiosity, and awareness of international issues.

As both ambassadors emphasised, the importance of the Élysée Treaty has taken on renewed meaning. In previous years, this anniversary was often marked primarily as an act of remembrance, looking back at a past shaped by reconciliation after conflict. This year, however, the treaty felt far more relevant and contextualised, resonating strongly with today’s international situation. At a time when the global order is shifting and the values that have long underpinned Europe are increasingly challenged, the Franco-German partnership stands not only as a historical achievement, but as a living commitment to cooperation, dialogue, and shared responsibility.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Bois, Headmaster of the Lycée Français de Manille, for his leadership and strong support of this joint initiative. My gratitude also goes to the administrative teams of both schools, whose coordination and professionalism were essential to the smooth running of the day, as well as to all colleagues and teachers who invested their time, creativity, and energy into making this celebration a success.

Above all, thank you to our students, whose enthusiasm and openness gave life to this event. We very much look forward to our next joint Eurocampus initiative and to continuing to strengthen the collaboration between GESM and LFM in the enduring spirit of the Élysée Treaty.