Merz met with Macron during his first foreign trip as German Chancellor

The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with French President Emmanuel Macron during his first foreign trip as Chancellor of Germany, the corresponding video was shared by the French leader on social networks, writes UNN.

Details

"The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday in Paris during his first official foreign trip," AFP journalists also report.

According to tagesschau, Merz arrived in France a day after being elected Chancellor.

It is specified that Macron greeted Merz at noon local time in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace in Paris with a "strong handshake and a hearty pat on the shoulder." Merz's visit was not an official inauguration, but rather a working meeting, as previously stated in the Elysee Palace, the publication writes. Both sides wanted to "bring a breath of fresh air into Franco-German relations" after the change of government in Germany.

"This inaugural trip to Paris is a real working meeting: President Emmanuel Macron and I have already exchanged views repeatedly. We believe in German-French friendship! A strong Europe needs a strong partnership between our countries," Merz commented on his trip to Paris in X.

"A promise of momentum and the same demand: to move Europe forward. It is up to us whether this succeeds. Welcome to Paris, Chancellor Merz!" Macron noted in X.

A press conference will be held later. Then Merz goes to Warsaw.

As reported, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking a "reset" of relations with France and Poland. During the flight with his inaugural visit to French President Emmanuel Macron, Merz said that his trip to Paris and Warsaw is not yet aimed at making any specific decisions. But he wanted to send a signal "internally and externally" that he is determined to have fruitful cooperation with these two countries in particular and would like to initiate "something like a new start."

In recent years, there have been complaints from France that Germany is not paying enough attention to relations, the publication noted.

German President Steinmeier Appoints Merz as Chancellor 06.05.25, 18:09 • 8324 views