Amid Security Concerns in Europe, Germany’s Next Chancellor Merz to Hold Talks with French President Macron

German federal election winner Friedrich Merz will travel to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Politico reports.

‘Thank you very much, dear Emmanuel Macron, for your friendship and trust in Franco-German relations. Together, our countries can achieve great things for Europe,’ Merz wrote on his X page.

Earlier, Macron held a video meeting with European leaders to brief them on his recent talks with US President Donald Trump. The briefing also focused on US-EU trade relations, the future of NATO, and security challenges in Eastern Europe.

Concerns are growing in Europe about the continent's security architecture, which has been based on US support for decades, as the Trump administration is likely to reverse course and reduce assistance to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The meeting in Paris will be Merz's first foreign visit since his party's landslide victory in Germany's federal elections, making him the country's likely next chancellor.

A spokesperson for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merz's party, declined to comment on the upcoming meeting when contacted by journalists. However, according to three officials with knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity, the talks will focus on the political situation in Germany after the elections, ongoing coalition talks, and transatlantic relations as a follow-up to Macron's discussions with Trump.