PARIS – French and German leaders rolled out a catalogue of joint projects on Friday in Toulon, vowing to prove their partnership still drives EU policy.
Trumpets sounded and smiles flashed as Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz opened the 25th Franco-German Council of Ministers, which the French president hailed as a “turning point” in bilateral ties.
“Together, France and Germany want to give Europe new momentum: more competitive, more productive and more sovereign,” Macron summed up.
Merz echoed the sentiment, stressing that Paris and Berlin “share the same clear-eyed view of the major domestic and external challenges” they face.
The two leaders set out eight strategy papers and some 20 flagship projects, spanning energy, trade, industry, advanced tech, competitiveness and the single market.
Among them was a pledge to boost Franco-German cooperation on…
