In the border region, the Rhine is not a border but a connecting link. 40,000 people currently work in the neighbouring country. The family business La Baguette in Freiburg, the French entrepreneur Guy Tonnelier in Kehl and the company Ernst Umformtechnik in Oberkirch discussed the obstacles they still encounter in their daily lives. The event was supported by the Honorary Consul, who is the managing partner of a company where more than a quarter of the employees come from France.

“Links with France and Alsace are of the utmost importance for the skilled crafts sector, which make up a large part of the economy in South Baden. As our industry is mainly organised on a regional basis, France is very important for us as a market and partner”, emphasised Dr. Handirk von Ungern-Sternberg, member of the board of the Freiburg Chamber of Crafts, to an audience of representatives from business and politics, various institutions, research and students from the region’s Franco-German courses. “There are almost 3,000 German companies working with the French economy. That is why we are committed to promoting relations with France and minimising bureaucratic hurdles”, added Dr Dieter Salomon, Managing Director of the Southern Upper Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce. “The developments of the last 60 years prove time and again that we have something to be proud of. There are numerous initiatives, cooperations and investments on both sides of the Rhine, and the governments and administrations are working to further strengthen cross-border relations”, emphasised Gaël de Maisonneuve, French Consul General in Baden-Württemberg.

Christine Jablonski, HR Manager for the French market at Europa-Park, was also invited to talk about the company’s strong Franco-German recruitment strategy and the solutions found to overcome the obstacles encountered (help with CV writing, integrated language courses, support for cultural understanding between the two nationalities).

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