Diplomats on both sides of the Rhine have noted a palpable eagerness surrounding the upcoming meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Both leaders have expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of collaboration, ahead of their meeting scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Paris.
Merz is expected to travel to Warsaw later the same day.The circumstances surrounding this meeting are noteworthy. Europe faces a dual challenge: the ongoing war on its eastern border following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, and a perceived disengagement from the United States at a time when free trade, a cornerstone of the European project, is under pressure.
The future of Europe is, in part, dependent on the strength of the Franco-German partnership. “They both want to mark history,” commented one diplomat. There has even been discussion of a potential joint trip to Normandy for a photo opportunity on the D-Day beaches, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Third Reich. Such an image would carry significant symbolic weight, reminiscent of the iconic photograph of former leaders François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl holding hands in Verdun on September 22, 1984.
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