Merz visits France, Poland after bumpy start to leadership

Merz has a deep knowledge of the world of finance and the economy, which is something that brings him closer to Macron,

a French official said, according to Reuters

Emmanuel Macronpresident

I promised I would be here on time,

he joked in English, greeting Macron at the Elysée Palace on Wednesday morning

I would hope for some common leadership in Europe,

a Polish government source told Reuters

Friedrich Merzchancellor

I know there are still some points France wants addressed in regard to these agreements, but I believe these are individual matters that do not call the whole into question,

Merz said

There can be no impression that anyone, including Germany, would like to send any groups of immigrants to Poland,

he said

We could imagine something similar for the European fiscal pact or fiscal rules,

he said

We must make sure the European members of NATO, and the whole European Union, are able to defend themselves on a long-term basis,

he said

We want to better coordinate our support for Ukraine within this framework, align our national defence planning and procurement projects even more closely, and also find new answers to strategic questions of security and defence policy,

Merz added

Jana Puglierinsecurity expert

After years of internal bickering and political navel-gazing under the previous government, what’s needed now is German leadership that doesn’t just observe European policy, but helps shape it,

said Jana Puglierin of the ECFR thinktank

We will only be able to meet these challenges if France and Germany stand even more closely together than in the past. That is why Emmanuel Macron and I have agreed on a new Franco-German push for Europe.”

Merz said

There is only one question: is Russia ready for a ceasefire lasting at least 30 days in order to be able to build a solid and lasting peace?”

he said

The special thing about this Franco-German relationship is that it is much more than just two people who like or dislike each other, but over the many years they have tried to get out of the coincidences of two people and expand it,

Stefan Seidendorf, deputy director of the Franco-German Institute, warns against overemphasizing the relationship between the two people at the top ... he told DW following the Macron-Merz meeting

There is a great danger,

says Henning Hoff,

When it comes to Franco-German relations in particular, there are many specific issues that remained unaddressed under Scholz and Macron because their personal chemistry didn't really click,

says Henning Hoff

We are aiming for a free trade agreement with the US in the medium term; in the short term, we want to avoid a trade conflict and are working to reduce import tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic."

The coalition agreement states

Donald Trumppresident

I am shocked by Donald Trump,

he said after Trump blamed Ukraine for the war

Friedrich Merzchancellor

The Mercosur deal should be ratified quickly and implemented,

Merz said at a joint press conference with President Emmanuel Macron as he visited Paris on his first trip abroad

Emmanuel Macronpresident

We want to answer together the challenges that Europe faces,

Macron said

Friedrich Merzchancellor

President Trump also has our full support when it comes to bringing the killing to an end and ending the war,

Merz said

We are in favor of trade deals if they protect our European producers and ensure an equality of treatment,

he said