Side by side but respecting the distance, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron displayed all smiles Thursday afternoon on the low terrace of Fort de Brégançon, in Bormes-les-Mimosas, in the Var. It has been 35 years since a chancellor or a chancellor was received in the summer residence of the President of the Republic. The two officials seemed delighted to meet again to show Franco-German unity.
A warm reunion
They were even in a hurry to meet again since Angela Merkel crossed the gate of the fort ten minutes early, shortly before 4 p.m. The Chancellor arrived in a black German sedan. We are far from the spectacular arrival of Vladimir Putin by helicopter last year. The German Chancellor and the Macron couple then greeted each other, without a handshake, without a hug, but the reunion was warm.
>> READ ALSO - Merkel in Brégançon: Macron hopes for a new start in the Franco-German relationship
"It's the most beautiful place in the world," Angela Merkel marveled in English in front of her hosts who, before getting down to business, made a point of giving her a little tour of the fort. Everyone then masked themselves to enter inside. The Head of State and his German counterpart have displayed a visible complicity to show a Franco-German couple united politically but also personally.
A "strong level of convergence" on hot issues
But the German Chancellor does not go to Fort Brégançon for a relaxing stay. A bilateral meeting, a press conference and a working dinner are on the program. Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel meet for a real working session, because the visit of the fort will have been only a tiny part of the minimum five hours that this meeting should last. For the rest, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron actually only have crises to manage.
>> Find Your great evening newspaper in replay and podcast here
They intend to show on these subjects, we explain to Europe 1, a "strong level of convergence": Covid-19 on a European scale, unrest in Mali, aftermath of the explosion in Lebanon, disputed presidential election in Belarus ... And this list is not exhaustive. The Franco-German couple intends to show their unity on these issues, as they did on that of the European recovery plan adopted a month ago and which saw Angela Merkel take a step towards Emmanuel Macron by rallying to the positions of France.