US EditionMacron and Merz pledge stronger Franco-German defense ties on first diplomatic visit
- On May 7, 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Paris for his first foreign trip and pledged stronger defense ties with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
- Merz sought this partnership amid rising European concern over unreliable US security guarantees during Russia's war in Ukraine and a rocky start to his chancellorship marked by two Bundestag votes.
- During a joint news conference and in a Le Figaro op-ed, Merz and Macron announced plans to establish a bilateral Defence and Security body and to better synchronize their national defence strategies and procurement efforts.
- Merz emphasized that overcoming these challenges depends on an unprecedented level of cooperation between France and Germany, while Macron praised Germany’s increased defense spending and promised to accelerate the development of new military capabilities.
- This renewed Franco-German alliance aims to reinforce Europe’s security, deepen integration, and contribute to a just peace in Ukraine, signaling a potential shift toward greater European strategic autonomy.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Macron and Merz demonstrate their first clashes over Mercosur, the US and European tax rules
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, want to revive "the engine of the European Union" with a "stronger" Paris-Berlin axis, but at their first meeting, which took place this Wednesday in the Gala capital, they also evidenced their first discrepancies related to the economy, the link with the United States or the agreement between the Community bloc and Mercosur. "The war in Ukraine will not end if…
Merz in Macron: Common nuclear umbrella with France and the United Kingdom
The German neo-Chancellor on official visit to the Elysée to relaunch the Franco-German engine of the European Union, especially on defence. And then in Poland: central theme irregular immigration, but Tusk criticizes border controls
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