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Emmanuel Macron receives Angela Merkel one last time

2021-09-16T02:47:33.478Z


The German Chancellor, who is preparing to bid farewell to power, will be received Thursday evening at the Elysee for a working dinner.


Emmanuel Macron receives Angela Merkel for dinner on Thursday, September 16, one of the last opportunities for the two leaders to stage Franco-German political proximity, while the Chancellor is preparing to bid farewell to power.

The president and chancellor will make a statement at 7 p.m., before an interview followed by a working dinner, the Elysee said on Wednesday.

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On the menu, a studious set of international subjects,

"first and foremost Afghanistan"

, announced Steffen Seibert, spokesperson for Merkel. The Élysée also mentioned on Wednesday

“Iran, Libya, Ukraine, Belarus”

but also

“the major European challenges in terms of defense, asylum and migration, and climate and digital transition”

.

The two leaders also want to prepare together for the summit between the European Union and the Western Balkans, in Ljubljana, on October 6 - a date on which it is likely that Angela Merkel's successor will not be appointed -, and the future French presidency of the European Union, in the first half of 2022. This last meeting is all the more crucial for Emmanuel Macron as it will coincide - and will necessarily mingle for him - with the electoral campaign in France and the election presidential election of April 10 and 24, for which he will be a candidate, except for a huge surprise.

Afghanistan on the menu

In the immediate future, the consequences of the Taliban victory in Kabul remain one of the most pressing issues for Europeans, and therefore for the Franco-German relationship. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen notably announced on Wednesday that a defense summit would be organized by Paris during its presidency of the EU, while the withdrawal from Afghanistan has revived the reflection on the autonomy of Europeans. The creation of a European rapid reaction force of 5,000 soldiers has been under discussion for several months and the American withdrawal from Afghanistan has revived the debate by highlighting the military deficiencies of the old continent.

Beyond these issues, Angela Merkel's invitation to Paris highlights one last time the personal and working relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, which has evolved considerably since 2017. Initially, difficult to find many points in common between a 67-year-old chancellor, brought up in the school of prudence, and a young president of 43 years who set up the audacity and the movement in political markers.

But over time, the two leaders have succeeded, according to many witnesses, in building a solid relationship of trust.

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The French president has long encountered German reluctance to increase EU spending. Faced with the Covid, the two leaders were able to strengthen their ties to conclude an alliance leading in May 2020 to the proposal of a European recovery plan of 750 billion euros, largely financed by pooled European loans. They then worked together to wrest a historic agreement on this plan.

Emmanuel Macron has received in recent days at the Elysee the two favorites to succeed Angela Merkel in Berlin, the Social Democrat (SPD, center left) Olaf Scholz and the Christian Democrat (CDU, center right) Armin Laschet. On the side of Olaf Scholz, co-architect of the program of debt pooling and post-Covid European recovery, Paris can hope for less budgetary orthodoxy, especially if the Social Democrat governs with a majority firmly anchored on the left. If Armin Laschet wins, Berlin could keep its foot on the brake on spending and debt.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-09-16

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