UPDATED 7:06 AM EST, January 23, 2013
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande marked the 50th anniversary of Germany and France's post-war reconciliation pact on Tuesday, pledging to deepen ties between the two countries. Relations between Berlin and Paris have seen strain since the ascension of the socialist Hollande to the French presidency eight months ago, after Hollande campaigned on a platform opposing German-backed austerity measures. Reuters describes the two governments as also having "starkly different visions" over how to implement further European Union economic integration.
