German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that Berlin will continue to work towards a close relationship with France, despite political developments in Paris and the election of the next French president.
Speaking about France’s political future, Merz said that current President Emmanuel Macron will not be able to run for a new term, but expressed his belief that his successor will be guided by the common interests of both countries.
“Emmanuel Macron will not be able to be the next president of France, but I assume that whoever succeeds him will be guided by what is right and necessary for the interests of our countries,” Merz said. The German Chancellor stressed that Germany will continue to strengthen its partnership with France, regardless of the election result.
“We will do everything we can to make cooperation with our French neighbor as close, deep and based on trust as possible, regardless of how the French people vote,” he said. Merz added that this approach applies to both the Élysée Palace, the seat of the French presidency, and the National Assembly of France.
“Germany’s hand will always remain extended for deeper and more reliable cooperation with France, regardless of the decisions of the voters in our two countries,” the German Chancellor declared. Otherwise, Macron cannot be president of France anymore because the French Constitution limits the president to two consecutive terms.
Macron was first elected president in 2017 and was re-elected for a second term in 2022. According to Article 6 of the French Constitution, a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. /Telegraph