Merz's comments on the elections in France: In the interest of our countries

The traditional joint cabinet meeting between the German and French governments was held this time in the city of Brühl, in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state. The meeting, attended by German and French cabinet members, covered topics including continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, European defense and security, developments in the Middle East, and economic, political, energy, and defense issues between the two countries.

Following the joint cabinet meeting, Merz and Macron appeared before the cameras together to announce the decisions taken during the talks. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who spoke first, stated that the friendship between his country and France and the joint effort for a strong Europe form the essence of German foreign policy. Merz said, "In the two days of talks, we focused on 3 important issues. The first was how we protect ourselves in a dangerous world. The second was how we strengthen our economies in the face of global competition. The third was how we move Europe forward together. As Germany and France, we want to answer these questions together. We want to do this quickly. We want to do this consistently, and we want to do this with a realistic perspective on our political environment."

"Our goal is a peace that guarantees the security of Ukraine and Europe"

Emphasizing that the joint effort of Germany and France regarding the war with Russia plays a key role in European security, Merz stated, "France and Germany have made very important contributions in this regard and will continue to contribute diplomatically, militarily, and financially. We have set out on this path with determination. Our goal is a peace that secures Ukraine's sovereignty and Europe's security."

Merz announced that his country's armed forces would also participate in the military exercise to be organized by the Coalition of Volunteers in the autumn at France's initiative.

The possibility of the far-right coming to power in France after Macron

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also made assessments regarding how the establishment of a far-right government following next year's presidential election in France would affect relations between the two countries. Merz said, "Macron will not be able to be the next President of France, but in any case, I assume that whoever replaces him will act according to the principle of doing what is right and necessary in the interest of our countries. From the German perspective, I can say that regardless of how the voters in France decide, we will do everything in our power to shape this cooperation with our French neighbors as intensively, deeply, and trustfully as possible in the future. This applies to both the Presidency and the National Assembly. Regardless of how the voters decide, Germany will always continue to extend its hand for deeper and more trust-based cooperation with France."

Partnership between Germany and France on nuclear deterrence

Stating that they decided to deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries at today's meeting, German Chancellor Merz said, "We are evaluating with which combination of capabilities we can further increase our joint deterrence in the future. In addition to this work on a common doctrine, we will also include German conventional forces in a nuclear exercise to be organized by the French Armed Forces this year. This is complementary to our nuclear participation and deterrence in NATO."

Stating that a new work plan for cooperation between the two countries' defense ministries has been prepared, Merz said, "We will strengthen European industry by encouraging innovation. We will support advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics, and fusion technology. In energy policy, we want to make the southwestern hydrogen corridor project a success together, and finally, in the field of space, we will coordinate closely with each other on fundamental issues such as frequency allocation for satellites and the European satellite constellation."

Merz stated that they have learned lessons from the cancellation of the joint fighter jet plan, which was one of the most important projects between his country and France, and that they will focus on the joint development of air defense systems and long-range weapons.

"Trust the French people"

French President Macron, recalling the efforts to end the war in Ukraine, said, "I believe we have reached a consensus between Europe and the US on Ukraine. We then reinforced this at the NATO Summit in Ankara, particularly with the US commitment to Ukraine and a concrete US commitment. At the beginning of the week in Paris, we concretized the commitments of Europe and its partners regarding security guarantees. There is a real synergy and a very great complementarity in this regard."

Regarding public opinion polls showing far-right Marine Le Pen ahead in the presidential election to be held in May next year, Macron stated that the French voters should be trusted. Macron said, "The elections will be held on May 22, 2027. Trust the French people. Do not always predict the worst, hope for the best, and trust in the best. I know many people who should have been elected in July 2016; they were not the same people we saw at the end of the election in May 2017."

Macron said, "We are working for our people. We are working for our countries and we are ignoring our own interests. The decisions we made were necessary. These decisions are the right decisions for our security, our prosperity, and our peace, and I think these decisions, supported by the majority, are the best agenda we can implement as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Macron's call to Iran to comply with the agreement

Regarding the Iran war, Macron pointed to the memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran in Switzerland, saying, "This agreement includes the condition that the Strait of Hormuz be opened unconditionally and that the necessary arrangements be made in Lebanon within 60 days. I call on Iran to comply with this agreement. I think everyone really needs to calm down and abide by what they have signed. The Strait of Hormuz needs to be reopened and negotiations must continue."

News Source: 12punto