French President Emmanuel Macron will visit German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin on Sunday, for the first state visit by a French president in 24 years. The state visit is the highest level of diplomatic courtesy.
French President Emmanuel Macron will make a state visit to Germany this Sunday – the first such trip by a French president in 24 years.
Although Mr Macron regularly travels to Berlin to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a state visit can only be proposed by the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The objective of this visit is to mark “the permanence and depth of the Franco-German bond“.
Jeanette Süẞ, research fellow at the Committee for Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), explains that the objective of this visit is to “find points of convergence between France and Germany on future topics such as technology, innovation, artificial intelligence“, as well as on democracy and youth.
Ms. Süẞ stressed that efforts have been made “on both sides to revitalize the Franco-German relationship, which has not always been in the best shape“, and that nuclear power”remains a thorny subject between the two countries“.
Germany will close its last nuclear power plant in 2023, in stark contrast to France, which relies on nuclear power to meet 70% of its electricity needs.
“In Berlin, there will also be a question of democracy, which involves countering the far right which is gaining strength during the next European elections“, added Jeanette Süẞ.
The French president will visit the cities of Berlin, Dresden and Münster. The two presidents will celebrate 75 years of the German Constitution and visit the Holocaust Memorial.
The state visit will be followed by a Franco-German council of ministers, alongside Chancellor Scholz, on Tuesday evening.
Mr Macron had initially planned to visit Germany last July but had to cancel his visit due to riots that broke out in France.
This Sunday’s state visit is seen as a positive effort by some Berliners.
German painter and writer Wolfram Wickert said he favored Emmanuel Macron and appreciated his policies, while fearing “whether it defends the airspace in Ukraine or sends ground troops“.
While the French president did not rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine, Olaf Scholz made it clear that sending European or NATO troops to Ukraine would constitute a red line for Germany.
The visit comes at a tense time for European countries, with polls suggesting that Eurosceptic parties could secure a majority in the upcoming European elections. Both countries will strive to demonstrate together a unified European strength.