Emmanuel Macron hails ‘dear Olaf’ Scholz as Europe’s new power couple meets
- The new German chancellor made Paris his first overseas stop after taking over from Angela Merkel at the end of her 16 years in power
- The two leaders discussed EU issues, the Russian troop build-up on Ukraine’s border, as well as relations with China and the African continent
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed a “convergence of views” with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday as the two men met for their first talks as leaders.
Macron and Scholz, both pro-EU centrists, are the new tandem in charge of Europe’s biggest economies that have the greatest influence inside the 27-member European Union.
Scholz, a Social Democrat, heads a new coalition whose commitment to strengthening Europe’s “strategic sovereignty” has raised hopes of progress in the fervently pro-EU French government.
Addressing Scholz as “dear Olaf” and using the informal French pronoun tu, Macron said he had seen “a convergence of views, a desire to have our countries work together, and a firm and determined belief in Europe, which I knew already, which we will need in the months and years ahead”.
The visit was “a very important moment to build solid foundations for cooperation between our countries”, he added at a news conference.
