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.
Every election this statement is repeated. Relations between Germany and France are fine.