French President Emmanuel Macron, just invested for a second five-year term, traveled to Germany on Monday May 9, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

This first trip abroad by the French Head of State since his re-election was an opportunity for the two leaders to underline their desire to work together to strengthen Europe.  

Olaf Scholz praised France, "a force of inspiration in Europe", while Emmanuel Macron underlined the importance of "Franco-German friendship".

The German chancellor said he was very interested in the French president's idea of ​​a "European political community", capable of welcoming countries like Ukraine or the United Kingdom.

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According to the French president, this framework would allow European nations, which are not members of the EU but share its values, to find a new area of ​​cooperation in matters of politics, security, energy, transport, investment, infrastructure or movement of people.

Emmanuel Macron had made the trip with the secretary general of the Élysée, Alexis Kohler, who rarely travels abroad.

The two leaders then dined with their advisers.

The French president also specified that a Franco-German council of ministers would be held "in the first half of July", after the G7 and NATO summits in June.

With AFP

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