France and Germany will establish a joint security committee as part of Europe's increasing emphasis on their defense, he said when he hosted Friedrich Melz on his first foreign visit to the new prime minister.
Faced with increasing threats from Russia and President Donald Trump’s unpredictable U.S. government, the two leaders met at Elicia Palace on Wednesday, vowing to strengthen cooperation. Merz, who took office on Tuesday, made his point of traveling to Paris, first of all, to restore cooperation among the EU's largest countries.
"In addition to tanks, fighter jets and long-range missiles, we will also establish a French-German Defense and Security Commission, which will meet regularly to provide operational solutions to our shared strategic challenges," Macron said. He also made sovereignty and competitiveness a field of focus between the two countries.
Merz praised the “deep attachment” between France and Germany and said his visit was “expressing the personal connection that Emmanuel Macron and I have been able to forge over the past few years”.
The French president has met with Melz several times in recent months to discuss urgent issues, including Trump's tariff war and his efforts to resolve the fate of Ukraine and Russia.
Meers called on all European member states to “increase their defense spending to fill the gap in military capabilities and continue to fully support Ukraine”.
The Prime Minister has warned Europe before that it will no longer rely on the United States to defend it, saying that the war in Ukraine “will not end without further political and military participation from the United States of America. Europeans cannot replace it.”
The leaders also said that any discussion on expanding France's nuclear umbrella to other European countries would only aim to complement the existing NATO security assurance framework for the United States.
"We think we, Europeans, have to organize themselves better, but it's not about questioning the historical alliance," Macron said.
Paris officials hope Merz's arrival as prime minister will inject new energy into EU projects, including defense programs, and increase the competitiveness of the eurozone. A French official said the two leaders' personal style and political views were more closely aligned with former Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, who they "don't move."
"It is a great opportunity for France and Germany and Europe to gain more motivation for key priorities more broadly," said French European Minister Benjamin Haddad. "The new (Germany) government has strong ambitions for Europe, making Europe more independent of defense and security, and we also offer a common goal for competitiveness and immigration. Both Macron and Melz hope very quickly."
Merz's allies shared enough time and energy in Paris and beyond Europe.
“It’s not only about France,” said senior CDU MEP David McAllister. He said the Social Democrats got along well with political allies, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, but failed to build close ties with his conservative Polish and Italian counterparts, Donald Tusk and Giorgia Meloni. Merz will meet Tusk on a trip late Wednesday before visiting Brussels on Friday.
"Macron gave a big speech because he had a vision for the future of Europe. Neither Olaf Scholz. Without big speeches, no ambitious vision, or even compelling ideas, the future of European integration might look." "For a successful Europe, we need French enthusiasm and undertake German pragmatism."
Difficult themes of tensions in France-Germany include trade-Germany's support for the Mercosur treaty with Latin America, while France opposes the treaty as well as energy, where they should regard French nuclear energy as low-carbon under EU green regulations.
"This won't be all resolved in one visit, but the positive attitude with Meles is that the habit of turning to France-Germany cooperation is back," a French official said. "The goal is to finalize where we can and where we can't reach an agreement, and then we at least include our differences so that the Francisco-German partnership can still work."