Macron heads to Germany on first French state presidential visit in 24 years

Macron's trip to the capital Berlin, Dresden to the east, and Muenster to the west is the first French state presidential visit to Germany in 24 years.

The visit will be seen as a control over the health of German-French relations leading EU policymaking, at a time of major challenges for Europe -- from the war in Ukraine to Donald Trump's possible choice as the US. President in November.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Macron have very different styles of leadership and have been publicly thrown over issues from protection to nuclear energy since the latter took power in late 2021. However, they have achieved compromises on different fronts recently, from fiscal reform to power changes. Market subsidies, allowing the EU to reach agreement and establish a more united front, Reuters reports.

“There are tensions in German-French relations, but partly because they have addressed some difficult themes,” said Yann Wernert at the Jacques Delors Institute in Berlin, noting that the two countries had also contributed to the need to expand the EU eastward. .

The visit is “an effort at the highest political level to demonstrate that the relationship is functioning,” said Mujtaba Rahman, Europe management director in the Eurasia Group expert group. “But there are still substantial gaps in key issues emerging over the EU.”

Such a key gap is European protection, especially if Trump wins in November. Five US presidential elections. Defence experts see him as a far less predictable reliable ally for Europe than his Democrat rival, President Joe Biden.

Italy became the last country on Saturday that resumed funds for the United Nations Palestinian Assistance Organisation, U n NRWA.

At the beginning of this year, the former Republican president not only said he would not protect NATO members from a future attack from Russia if the contributions of these countries to the defence coalition were delayed, but that he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want from”.

France, which has nuclear weapons, has been pushing for a more self-backed Europe on defence issues and is frustrated by Germany's decision to buy mainly American equipment for its European Initiative Air Protection Umbrella.

Germany says there is no reliable alternative to the US. The military umbrella and that Europe has no time to expect a local defence industry to prepare for threats such as Russian hostility.