WHEN THE French and German governments gather in the Mediterranean port of Toulon on August 29th, the meeting will be heavy in symbolism. It will be the two countries’ 25th joint cabinet meeting, a marker of the importance both place on their mutual ties. Toulon is a naval base, a key strategic point for the European Union’s only nuclear-armed power. At a crucial moment for Europe’s security, the event reaffirms what is still the eu’s indispensable bilateral relationship.