Government formation: Chancellor Merz first travels to Paris and Warsaw

On the first day after his election as Chancellor, Friedrich Merz (CDU) traveled to the two neighboring countries of France and Poland today. In Paris, he will talk to French President Emmanuel Macron about how Europe can become more independent after the radical foreign policy change of course under President Donald Trump.

In Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk should also be about irregular migration in addition to the Russian attack war against Ukraine. Merz has announced a tightening of the border controls and reinforced rejections from the first day of his term. The new CSU interior minister Alexander Dobrindt is responsible for the implementation. Poland meets the measures with skepticism.

Merz already knows Macron and Tusk

Merz was only elected Chancellor in the second ballot on Tuesday. In the evening, his predecessor Olaf Scholz from the SPD handed over his official business in the Chancellery.

Merz had already announced in the election campaign to want to visit Paris and Warsaw on the first day of his term. He has already met both Macron and Tusk several times. As an opposition leader, he had always accused his predecessor that he had relationships with both.

The new Chancellor wants to end “European policy speechlessness”

Merz wants to redefine the role of Germany in Europe. He wanted to end the “European political speechlessness” of Germany in January in January in a fundamental policy speech at the Körber Foundation. The most important thing is “the repair” of the relationships of Germany to France and Poland.

Together with Macron, he wanted to realize “the idea of ​​a sovereign Europe”. From the point of view of the new Chancellor, this includes, among other things, to take up Macron’s idea of ​​a common European nuclear deterrence and to have concrete conversations about it.

Macron wants to make Franco-German engine more than before

Macron already congratulated Merz on Tuesday on his election in the Bundestag. “It is up to us to make the German-French engine and reflex more than ever,” he said. “We will meet in Paris from tomorrow to work together.”

The Elysée Palace wants to use the Merz visit to “give a very strong and immediate signal that a renewal takes place in Franco-German relationships”. Main topics should have sovereignty, competitiveness and security.

Double visit Paris-Warschau Special sign

Paris as the first stop of a Chancellor abroad is the standard. The fact that Merz also visited Poland on the first day after taking office is a special sign. Scholz had first traveled to Paris and Brussels.

“A Federal Government I run will end speechlessness with Warsaw from day one,” Merz announced. He wanted to meet Poland “respectfully and with empathy”.

World War II money further on the agenda

For Poland, the topic of compensation for the war damage caused by Germany is still on the agenda. In addition, Poland’s embassy in Berlin has already critically commented on the stricter border controls announced by Merz, which could begin on Wednesday.

Merz ‘inaugural visit falls into the hot phase of the Polish presidential election campaign. The candidate Karol Nawrocki, supported by the national conservative PIS, addresses both the migration issues and world war compensation for stirring an anti-German mood.

Merz wants to put German-Polish relationships on a new basis with a friendship contract. According to his ideas, this is to be concluded on the 35th anniversary of the signing of the German-Polish neighborhood contract from 1991 on June 17, 2026.

Foreign Minister WadePhul in Paris and Warsaw

The Chancellor is accompanied in Paris and Warsaw by Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul (CDU) – a sign of the claim of a new foreign policy from a single source. At the time of the traffic light government, this was not always the case, especially in Ukraine policy. For the first time in almost 60 years, Chancellor and Foreign Minister have now belonged to the same party. Since the 1960s it has been common for the chief diplomats to be provided by the smaller coalition partners.