This was the first foreign trip for the chairman of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since the bloc's victory in the Bundestag elections.

Details of the conversation have not yet been disclosed, and there have been no comments from the French side. According to BILD, Merz flew to Paris on an Air Force plane. Macron invited him to dinner.

The bloc stated that the conversation took place in an extremely friendly atmosphere, that many points of contact were found and a large number of possible joint initiatives were discussed.

Given the change in US policy on Ukraine, European defense was likely also discussed at the meeting in Paris.

For France, the new German-French friendship is an important element of future cooperation in Europe. Merz wants to become a new engine for Europe together with Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Especially after the harsh statements of the United States against Europe. In addition, Merz has a personal connection to France.

Merz speaks French and has close ties to France. He is said to have learned to value good German-French relations during his time in the European Parliament. As a youth, he took part in a school exchange in Auvergne and later spent several holidays in France with his family. [BILD]