According to two of the officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, May 7 was chosen as the date for the visit to Paris because on May 8, Merz and Macron will be focused on national commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII.
French officials are hoping for a reset with Germany under Merz. The personal relationship between Macron and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz was notoriously poor, and ties were further strained by disagreements over energy, Ukraine and trade.
According to a top Macron ally, the two leaders are already “working hard” and could make progress in the coming weeks on defense, trade and managing Europe’s transatlantic relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Beyond Paris and Warsaw, Merz’s European tour may also include a visit to Kyiv on May 9, following the invitation extended to EU leaders by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Two EU diplomats, who were granted anonymity to speak about the potential future event, said discussions were underway regarding a potential visit by Merz to Ukraine.
The French presidency declined to comment for this story.
