Merz visits France, Poland after bumpy start to leadership

After a bumpy start to his coalition government, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz began his tenure as leader with a diplomatic mission to France and Poland on Wednesday, where he sought to strengthen ties with his nation's key European allies amid turbulent times.

The visits, coming just one day after Merz secured the chancellorship in a contentious second-round vote, aim to signal Germany's readiness to resume a prominent international role despite tensions within his two-party coalition.

At a joint news conference in Paris, Merz and France's President Emmanuel Macron promised a new start for Europe driven by Franco-German cooperation.

Merz emphasized the need to secure continued support for Ukraine and urged all European Union members to increase defense spending, saying: "Only in this way can we gradually close our capability gaps and collectively support Ukraine."

According to French officials, Merz and Macron share a strong rapport and commitment to European unity that could also strengthen the bloc's position on United States President Donald Trump's trade pressure.

"Merz has a deep knowledge of the world of finance and the economy, which is something that brings him closer to Macron," a French official said, according to Reuters.

According to analysts cited by Reuters, European allies are optimistic that Merz's leadership will restore German influence in the region, following years of paralysis under former chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious three-party coalition, which collapsed in November.

"After years of internal bickering and political navel-gazing under the previous government, what's needed now is German leadership that doesn't just observe European policy, but helps shape it," said Jana Puglierin, director of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"Merz's chances of achieving this are good. He plans to centralize foreign and European policy in the chancellery — making it the nerve center of decision-making."

Merz traveled to Poland later on Wednesday, reflecting that country's growing importance in European politics.

A Polish government source told Reuters: "I would hope for some common leadership in Europe. Germany has been somehow missing in these discussions over the past."

The source said a key question was how Merz's government planned to increase defense spending through joint European procurement.

Evelyn Gaiser, a NATO advisor at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, told the Politico news website the chancellor aims to forge a unified European position ahead of a key NATO summit next month.

The summit will be "decisive for the future of transatlantic defense architecture, and therefore for Europe's security," she said. "A coordinated European position and a clear signal of increased defense efforts must be prepared now."

Merz was also expected to discuss migration policy with both Macron and Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as his coalition seeks to coordinate stricter border controls with European neighbors.