Merz and Macron meet

Three days after his victory in the Bundestag elections, CDU/CSU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz was scheduled to have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The two had agreed to hold political talks, several media outlets reported. The Élysée Palace confirmed that Merz and Macron wanted to meet for a "working dinner," but gave no further details.

Merz's first trip abroad since the election is also likely to be about European defense in light of the US change of course on Ukraine policy. Macron informed the other heads of state and government of the EU member states about his latest talks with US President Donald Trump in a video conference this morning. Nothing was initially revealed about the content.

The exchange also took place against the backdrop of the special EU summit on March 6. Resolutions on further support for Ukraine and strengthening European defense were to be passed at the summit. dpa