Macron and his compatriots bid farewell to Merkel: France loves you
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday hosted outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel for a farewell visit after 16 years in power. The German leader was welcomed by crowds and awarded France's highest honor.
In a gesture of thanks to Merkel for her contribution to Franco-German relations, which saw her dealings with four French presidents, Macron invited her to visit the French town of Bonn in the Bourgogne region to grow grapes.
Merkel, who was accompanied by her husband Joachim Sauer, was given a warm welcome when she walked with Macron through the crowds and met a group of well-wishers chanting "Anguilla, bravo!"
"France loves you," Macron tweeted in German before receiving her in the city, where a piano concert and dinner were held.
Merkel is also scheduled to receive from Macron the Legion of Honor, France's highest.
Macron was the fourth French president to deal with Merkel during her tenure, after Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.
The two leaders come from two different generations with different approaches to international matters, and have fallen out behind the scenes on issues such as Berlin's preference for budget austerity and Macron's desire for a European defense strategy that is not dependent on the United States.
But they are considered effective partners, especially by leading an unprecedented recovery package in the European Union to help economies weakened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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