Macron: German-French relations 'heart of Europe'

2024-05-26 22:25:34, Kosova & Bota CNA

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Berlin with his wife Brigitte for a three-day state visit. President Macron and the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, emphasized at the beginning of their meeting the importance of relations between France and Germany for Europe.

"German-French relations are central to Europe, they are necessary for Europe to move forward," Macron said Sunday afternoon during a debate with Steinmeier at the Democracy Day, which marks the 75th anniversary of the German Constitution, in Berlin.

Macron is the only foreigner invited to the Democracy Party in Berlin. According to the Office of the Federal President, the aim was to emphasize the special relationship between Germany and France.

Macron: German-French relations 'heart of Europe'

"When Germany and France agree, many things can still be achieved in Europe," Steinmeier said. The German president emphasized that celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law together with Macron is also "proof of the depth of German-French friendship." "We want to make this visit a real celebration", said the Federal President.

At noon, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the close alliance with the French President on several key EU projects. Speaking to citizens at the Democracy Day, Scholzi said he had formed an "alliance" with Macron to launch a functional union of capital markets in the EU. The main objective is to ensure that money saved in Europe is invested faster and more in EU countries.

Macron warns of the danger from the strengthening of nationalists

Macron warned in Berlin about the danger posed by the strengthening of nationalists in Europe. "If they had been in power, we wouldn't have had vaccines (...) and we would have abandoned Ukraine to support Russia," he said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic and the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022.

Macron: German-French relations 'heart of Europe'

There is a "fascination with authoritarianism," Macron warned. "We live in an existential moment in Europe," he added. "I honestly believe that Europe can die," Macron said.

Macron called German-French relations central and 'the heart of Europe'. He disputed the impression that Europe's German-French engine is stalling. "This is not true. We are making progress," the president said, according to the official translation.

In a question-and-answer session on social media with young people this month, Macron asked Scholz for help when asked if the Franco-German "couple" still worked. "Hello dear friends, long live Franco-German friendship!" Scholzi said in French in a video of Macron on Platform X. "Thank you Olaf! I very much agree with you," Macron replied in clear German.

Macron: German-French relations 'heart of Europe'

In the evening, Steinmeier will host a state banquet for Macron at Bellevue Palace, which will also be attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Steinmeier will receive the French president with military honors. The two heads of state will also symbolically announce the start of the German-French sports summer, characterized by the European Football Championship and the Olympic Games.

Macron's first visit to East Germany

Macron arrived in Germany in the early hours of the afternoon, for his three-day state visit, which will also take him to Dresden. This will be Macron's first visit to the state of Saxony, one of the five eastern German states, apart from Berlin. On Monday, Macron will give a speech to young people in front of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, and on Tuesday he will receive the International Westphalian Peace Prize in Münster, before meeting Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and ministers from both governments in Meseberg Palace, near Berlin.

This is the first official state visit of a French president to Germany in 24 years and only the sixth in history.

In May of last year, Macron postponed the state visit due to the unrest in France./ DW