Friedrich Merz, during his campaign, criticized the neglect of Germany's foreign partnerships, particularly with France and Poland. He emphasizes reviving the Weimar Triangle, a trilateral alliance crucial in the past. Following his election, Merz's first foreign trips target improving relations with Paris and Warsaw. Experts identify unresolved conflicts in Franco-German dynamics, cautioning that personal chemistry between leaders is not the sole factor in these longstanding relationships. Additionally, a new pro-European leadership in Poland signifies a potential thaw in relations, although migration policies could introduce new tensions affecting future political landscapes.
"When it comes to Franco-German relations in particular, there are many specific issues that remained unaddressed under Scholz and Macron because their personal chemistry didn't really click," says Henning Hoff.
"The special thing about this Franco-German relationship is that it is much more than just two people who like or dislike each other, but over the many years they have tried to get out of the coincidences of two people and expand it," he told DW.
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