German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron displayed a united front at an informal EU summit in Belgium on Thursday. “We want to accelerate the European Union, improve it, and above all make sure we have a competitive industry in Europe” Merz said, adding that he was “in agreement with France’s Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron on these issues almost always”.
Macron added that the two leaders shared a sense of urgency. He cited unfair competition and intense pressure from China, as well as tariffs and the threat of coercive measures from the United States, saying “all of this calls for a response”.
The French president also spoke of a strong German‑French commitment to a capital markets union. A further priority, he said, is to expand partnerships and diversify to mitigate economic risks, while protecting particularly vulnerable critical sectors and financing innovations.
Macron noted that progress on these topics should be reviewed in June. He said that where consensus across all 27 member states is lacking, members must reserve the right to enter into strengthened cooperation in different configurations to move more quickly.