Geographers often debate what is “the heart of Europe” – some say Slovakia, others say Lithuania. Ask diplomats, however, and they might say Europe’s heart lies in the hugs, handshakes, and harmony between the leaders of France and Germany, the founders of the European Union. On Thursday and Friday, the two countries showed how personal bonds – built on a remarkable reconciliation between Paris and Berlin after World War II – can help Europe face its current challenges.
First, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at his seaside home on the Mediterranean for a tie-free, one-on-one working dinner. The next day, the doting duo presided over the 25th joint cabinet meeting between the EU’s two most powerful economies. The cozy get-together, their second since Mr. Merz’s election earlier this year, resulted in a number of new initiatives on security, trade, industry, and energy.
Mr. Macron called the meeting a “turning point” in bilateral ties. “Together, France and Germany want to give Europe new momentum: more competitive, more productive and more sovereign,” he said. Mr. Merz has said the two are moving forward “hand in hand.”
Differences remain over their respective national interests, such as a dispute over how to build a new fighter jet together. Germany is often more hesitant than France in how to support Ukraine. And both leaders must cope with factional fights in their domestic politics – something each leader understands.
Yet the level of compromise and coordination in the “Merzcron” relationship, as with similar bondings between past German and French leaders, remains a model for the other 25 members of the EU. If the bloc can improve its unity, Mr. Merz said, “Then we are truly strong, and Europe becomes a factor in the world.”
As the pillar of a peaceful, prosperous Europe, the two nations together have shaped the continent for decades. Their grand public vision has relied on a personal bonding of leaders. “Both of us,” said Mr. Merz, “see it as a great duty to continue to work on it for years to come.”
