The first visit of the French president in 24 years: Macron arrives in Germany today
Kyiv • UNN
French President Emmanuel Macron will make a three-day state visit to Germany, the first by a French president in 24 years, to demonstrate unity with Germany ahead of the EU elections and amid challenges such as the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in Germany on Sunday for a three-day state visit. The two largest states of the European Union are seeking to demonstrate unity ahead of next month's EU parliamentary elections. UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
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Macron's trip to the capital Berlin, Dresden in the east, and Munster in the west is the first state visit of a French president to Germany in 24 years.
Reuters writes that the visit is seen as a test of the health of German-French relations, which shape EU policy, at a time of serious challenges for Europe, from the war in Ukraine to the possible election of Donald Trump as US president in November.
Macron will begin his visit on Sunday with a meeting in Berlin with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. On Monday, he will travel to Dresden, where he will give a speech, and on Tuesday to Munster. According to Reuters, probably the most important part of his trip will be a cabinet meeting on Tuesday in Meuseberg, near Berlin, where the two governments will begin work trying to find common ground on the two main issues on which they have had difficulty finding common ground - defense and competitiveness.
The two countries will also try to find common ground on the EU's agenda for the next five years, given that the June 6-9 parliamentary elections are expected to see strong support for the far right, which will complicate EU decision-making.
Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have very different leadership styles and have clashed publicly over issues ranging from defense to nuclear energy since the latter took office in late 2021. Recently, however, they have reached compromises on issues ranging from tax reform to changes in electricity market subsidies, allowing the EU to conclude deals and speak with a more unified voice.
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Nuclear-armed France insists on greater European autonomy in defense matters and is unhappy with Germany's decision to buy mostly American equipment for its air defense umbrella under the European Sky Shield Initiative.
Germany argues that the American "military umbrella" has no worthy alternative and that Europe does not have time to wait until the domestic defense industry is ready for threats amid Russian aggression.
