Macron touts Franco-German unity at 'decisive moment' for Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed his country's long-established partnership with Germany on Sunday, as a three-day, pomp-filled state visit aimed a demonstrating the strength of the ties kicked off in Berlin.
Macron's state visit to Germany, the first by a French president in 24 years, comes as the two leading European powers are confronted by a range of dilemmas, from the war raging on the EU's doorstep in Ukraine to surging far-right parties at home and a potential second term for Donald Trump in Washington.
Macron said Europe was at a "decisive moment," citing Russia's military aggression along with challenges with respect to climate change and artificial intelligence.
To address these issues, he said, a "Franco-German push" is needed.
At a press conference alongside German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Berlin's Bellevue Palace, Macron said the relationship between Germany and France was like a "lively, demanding, ambitious couple."
Earlier, after Macron arrived in Berlin, he had met Steinmeier at a "Democracy Festival" marking the 75th anniversary of Germany's Basic Law - the democratic constitution adopted in West Germany after World War II.
Steinmeier greeted Macron and called his visit "proof of the depth of the Franco-German friendship."
He said that despite sometimes differing on individual policy points, Berlin and Paris always "come to an agreement in the end."
Macron rebuffed the suggestion that the relationship, often described as the motor of European policymaking, is sputtering: "That is not true. We are moving forward," he said.
"Franco-German relations are indispensable and important for Europe," he said.
After the festival, Macron travelled to Steinmeier's nearby official residence, the Bellevue Palace, where he was greeted with military honours and the French national anthem. He was later treated to a state banquet with a slew of top politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, taking part.
Sunday's visit comes ahead of European elections to decide the next European Parliament. Far-right EU parties have seen a surge in support in recent years - including in France and Germany - and are expected to do well in the June 6-9 polls.
The relationship between Paris and Berlin has long been seen as a driving force for Europe, both politically and economically. But frictions began to emerge in 2022, after Angela Merkel left the German political scene, although Macron and Scholz have recently made efforts to improve cooperation.
Agreement has been found on several issues, including reform of the EU's debt and deficit rules, but other points of contention remain, notably on the extent of military aid for Ukraine and the EU's economic policy responses to protectionist measures by China and the United States.
These thorny questions and others are set to be discussed at a meeting of French and German ministers on Tuesday.
Macron and his wife are scheduled to travel to Dresden on Monday. There, he will give a speech on European policy in front of the Frauenkirche - a monumental domed church that is a symbol of post-war reconciliation.
On Tuesday, they are set to travel on to Münster, where Macron will be awarded the Peace of Westphalia Prize.
Macron came to power in France seven years ago and cannot run for a third term in the 2027 next presidential election.
The official state visit is the first by a French president to Germany since 2000, although leaders from both countries regularly meet and visit in less formal ways.
Macron had planned to make the state visit last July. However, the trip was postponed due to nationwide unrest in France following the deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old that shocked the nation.
