Description: Newly appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris, where they announced closer cooperation in establishing a well – armed and economically independent Europe. The leaders discussed key global issues such as the war in Ukraine, Europe’s economic and energy strategy going forward as well as the bolstering of bilateral ties which would propel the EU back on the global geopolitical map. Working groups from both countries held a joint meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris as both countries reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to enforce a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine. Merz arrived in Paris on the back of a shaky voting in the German Bundestag which threatened to plunge Germany in a low scale political crisis, while Macron also faced considerable challenges on the domestic front with upheavals in the French Parliament regarding the lasting budget strategies and the scandal around the arrest of far – right leader Merine Le Pen.
Impact: The meeting between the leaders of the two most pivotal countries within the EU was aimed at stimulating Europe’s unity towards approaching the new global power dynamics and reasserting Europe on the global geopolitical map. The continent is facing ample amounts of threats from Russian hybrid warfare to US tariffs, energy dependence and internal political divisions which puts EU’s foundations on a turbulent path. Macron and Merz need to rapidly develop a joint driven strategy which would garner a larger number of countries to consolidate Europe’s political and diplomatic cohesion and push the continent towards a relatively less compromised position on the global map. Both countries are also facing brewing domestic tensions and political divisions which could potentially compromise their position within the EU and further broaden the rift within EU members.