Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany, made an unexpected visit to Paris on Wednesday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. This trip came just days after Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU party emerged victorious in terms of electoral seats during the recent German election.

The meeting between Merz and Macron was anticipated to cover discussions on the recent shift in US policy regarding the war in Ukraine, in addition to European security issues. Merz expressed his gratitude to Macron for their friendship and trust in German-French relations on social media. He emphasized that together, their countries can achieve significant milestones for Europe.

This visit marked Merz’s first trip outside of Germany since his center-right alliance, consisting of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), secured victory in the election with a 28.5% share of the vote, resulting in 208 seats in the German Bundestag. Despite the conservative party’s success, they still fell short of the number of seats required to form a government, leading to potential coalition talks with the Social Democrats (SPD), led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The coalition negotiations, which are uncertain to yield a positive outcome, come at a critical time for the continent. Leaders are concerned that US President Donald Trump may potentially conclude a peace deal with Russia without the involvement of European nations. Recently, Washington twice sided with Moscow on votes at the United Nations, adding to the concerns surrounding Trump’s potential peace negotiations with Russia.

French President Macron recently visited the White House and emphasized that any peace agreement could not be reached without Ukraine’s approval. However, the level of agreement between Macron and Trump remains unclear, despite their apparent camaraderie.

Meanwhile, Merz is not expected to accompany Scholz to the upcoming EU summit in Brussels next month. Scholz’s spokesman stated that Merz does not require a “government internship” before assuming power. Scholz has also announced that he will not serve in the next government.

Germany’s oldest party, the SPD, experienced its worst result in over a century during the election and suffered the largest loss of votes compared to previous elections. The outcome of the election and subsequent coalition talks will shape the future direction of Germany’s government and its approach to European and global issues.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/merz-makes-surprise-trip-to-paris-for-talks-with-macron/a-71763932?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf