“Together our countries can achieve great things for Europe” – Macron welcomes Merz

The German election winner Friedrich Merz and the French President Emmanuel Macron met for talks in the Élysée Palace in Paris. During the three-hour discussion, both showed their willingness to open a new chapter in German-French relations, the Union said in the evening. It was the CDU chairman's first trip abroad after the Union's victory in the federal election last Sunday.

No details of the conversation were initially disclosed, and the French side made no comment. The Union simply said that the conversation took place in an extremely friendly atmosphere and that there was a great deal of agreement on the topics and numerous starting points for joint initiatives.

Merz himself wrote on the platform X in German and French: "Thank you, dear @EmmanuelMacron, for your friendship and your trust in German-French relations. Together, our countries can achieve great things for Europe."

Merz speaks French and has a close relationship with France. During his time in the EU Parliament, he learned to appreciate the good German-French relationship, it is said. As a teenager, Merz was on a student exchange in Auvergne and he and his family went on holiday to France several times.

In view of the US change of course in Ukraine policy, the meeting in Paris was probably also about European defense. Macron had informed the other heads of state and government of the EU states in a video conference that morning about his recent talks with US President Donald Trump. The exchange also took place against the backdrop of the special EU summit on March 6, at which decisions are to be made on further support for Ukraine and strengthening European defense.

The US government wants to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin into negotiations to end the war and to give the Europeans responsibility for securing a possible peace agreement. President Donald Trump received Macron on Monday as the first European head of state in his second term in office in the White House. During the talks, the Frenchman insisted, among other things, that the Europeans, who were left out of the recent talks between American and Russian representatives, be more involved in the negotiations.