Before the shock France-Belgium, the fair play of the two prime ministers

A duel at the top … between good neighbors. France and Belgium will meet on Tuesday night in Russia for the semifinal of the World Cup football. Whether by economy, politics or culture … Beyond their geographical proximity – 620 km of common border – a strong link exists between the two countries. "A friendship" even, greeted Sunday in JDD by the two French prime ministers, Edouard Philippe, and Belgian, Charles Michel. A mark of fair play between the two counterparts at two days of the decisive match, which will lead one of the two nations in the final.

"More than a neighbor, a little more than a friend"

For Edouard Philippe, proudly claiming his Flemish roots, Belgium is "more than a neighbor, a little more than a friend even. We have more than one border in common, "he says. The prime minister is highlighting the cooperation between France and Belgium to fight against terrorism. "Faced with a common enemy, Daesh, we had to learn to work better together. Our political, judicial and intelligence cooperation has become excellent, "he says. The French Prime Minister also praises the common commitment of the two countries to the European Union. "Belgium believed very early in the construction of Europe, and unlike others, she was never tempted to go back," he recalls. Edouard Philippe badures him finally: he will be "inevitably" in front of his tele Tuesday night to support the men of Didier Deschamps. And loose even its prognosis: "3-1 for the Blues".

"Who likes good chastisement"

On the other side of the border, Charles Michel, the Belgian prime minister, says he is "very impatient to live this extremely federative event" and admits more excited than we are going to play against France. " Like his French counterpart, he also welcomes "deep and very natural" links between the two countries. "Belgian Francophones speak the same mother tongue as their French neighbors and our societies are interconnected," he says. The Belgian Prime Minister admits that "teasing, derision and humor" sometimes invite each other when the two countries are forced to cross each other. "We find the French often pretentious and the French tend to find us ridiculous because of our accent, he admits. But self-deprecation is also a shared quality because we know that who likes to chastise well. "