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EXPERT COMMENT

As Friedrich Merz becomes German chancellor, Emmanuel Macron may finally have found the partner he needs for France and Germany to reshape European leadership.

When Friedrich Merz becomes German chancellor on 6 May, the relationship between France and Germany looks set to improve. Despite lingering efforts, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, never had a good relationship and their governments remained at loggerheads on several key strategic issues. Europe’s Franco–German engine has been running on empty for too long. 

The engine also stalled for domestic reasons. Internal divisions in the outgoing three-party coalition often made it difficult for Germany to clarify its position. In France, the lack of any stable majority in parliament weakened the president’s grip. The country changed governments four times in 2024, puzzling its European partners.

But the situation is changing dramatically. Germany is returning to its familiar ‘grand coalition’ (CDU/CSU–SPD) government, and the incoming chancellor has already started acting as such. In France, Macron is repositioning himself amid a tumultuous geopolitical context. The two leaders have already started building a dynamic working relationship.

In Paris, there is a reassuring sense of déjà vu in dealing with a German chancellor described as a Rhenish, Francophile Christian-Democrat, who has European integration in his political DNA and intends to invest in EU affairs. Merz’s personal long-standing commitment to Franco–German relations facilitates common understanding. Most importantly, he shares many key positions with Paris. In Merz, Macron may well have found the close German partner he has lacked since 2017. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.