Friedrich Merz is a little bit through Paris

To prepare for visits to Emmanuel Macron, international heads of government should now belong to a strong to painful greeting. There are entire video sequences of his meetings with Donald Trump on which Macron seems to really crush the hand of his counterpart. Friedrich Merz should be warned, actually.

Wednesday afternoon, quarter after twelve: The limousine of the new Chancellor drives up in the courtyard of the Élysée Palace and Merz is just able to overtake his jacket before Macron starts his complete welcome program. He presses it, knocks on him and back, knead his hand several times as if he had no longer awaited anything than to have the German as a chancellor in Paris. 10 out of 10 on the handshake and strength scale, it works. After all: Friedrich Merz is spared from injuries that noon.

It is day one of his chancellorship and Merz is immediately in there. The first trip abroad is on the schedule, first Paris, then Warsaw, as a sign of how seriously he takes the neighbors, Europe, the Weimar triangle, the diplomatic format that was finally asked whether it still exists in history books. Merz promises a “restart” of the German role, although one suspects on the premiere day that this restart should be less disruptive than was still designed in the election campaign.

The Chancellor now realizes that every sentence is suddenly relevant to the stock market. And world politics looks like a perfect storm. Trump’s customs policy, Putin’s UkraineKlieg, unregulated migration, Israel’s hard procedure in the Gaza Strip. So it quickly chose: the main thing is that no mistakes make.

Merz has to find himself into his new role, although it does not work as if it is particularly difficult for him. On the outward flight, he walks into the back rows by hand to briefly outline the program of the trip. He can be filmed so that the transmitters can also process a few pictures and sentences from him. He knows Macron quite well anyway, in the transition phase between Scholz and he voted against the French President several times.

Yesterday’s day should still be in his bones. His arrival in the Chancellery was more like a crash landing after it failed in the first ballot. The press position was sobering on Wednesday morning, even in his team some speaks of a “axis break” of the coalition, although it has not yet really started. But Merz does not want to leave a crisis impression, he plunges into foreign policy and Macron gives him a large train station. A conversation, a walk, a lunch. And of course: it goes to the micros.

“Dear Friedrich,” Macron flutes towards the German guest. “We are celebrating our new swing.” Together they want to get the “German-French engine” going and ensure that Europe is becoming stronger, internally and outwards. Merz also raves about the common partnership. Europe faces enormous challenges that it has to become safer, more competitive, united. “Of course there can be disagreements, that’s for sure, we are in competition,” adds Macron. “But we will coordinate.”

In fact, despite all the harmony, it should still crunch in a German-French relationship. Economically, the interests of both countries are far from being congruent. Macron protects his hand through the French arms industry. The President is also skeptical about the trade agreement, which Merz between Europe and the South American Mercosur countries would be complete.

As is going on in Ukraine, both should also become a stress test for both. Macron has been open to European security guarantees for Ukraine several times, even for securing a peace agreement with European troops. Whether he is considering sending German soldiers for it is asked Merz. Ukraine can rely on Germany, the Chancellor replies, but then looks as if he had to weigh every word individually. Before there is no agreement between Russia and Ukraine, one cannot provide any information about the extent of the security guarantees.

His predecessor could not have found any better alternative formula. But caution is certainly not wrong in terms of foreign policy.

Macron is asked whether he would like Germany to deliver market missiles, as France does. “We won’t talk about individual weapons systems,” says Macron and jokes: “It may well be that the Russian army also hears the answer to your question.” Then Merz nods. And acts as if he was who wanted to make Olaf Scholz with applications last year to finally deliver the Taurus, very happy not to have to commit himself on this question.

In the afternoon it goes back to the airport, the Chancellor has time pressure, his column rises in rows under the police supervision. Merz still has to talk to Donald Tusk after Warsaw. Without Poland no Weimar triangle.

By the way, the Chancellor will make calls to Donald Trump on Thursday. It should be a rather friendly conversation. “We want the Americans to stay on board,” says Merz in Paris. He knows: Without the USA alongside NATO, it should become even more stormy in terms of foreign policy.