The French head of State visited Berlin on Sunday November 18th to take part in a commemoration ceremony as part of the National Day of Mourning in Germany. Macron held a speech before the German parliament to pay tribute to the victims of war and dictatorships where he expressed the need to strengthen German and French ties in order ‘not to let the world slip into chaos.’ Mr. Macron called for a ‘stronger and more sovereign Europe’, believing that ‘Europe must be stronger […] and win more sovereignty.’ The bond between Germany and France is a traditionally strong one and it has improved in response to threats to European unity, including Brexit and Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his antagonism towards the EU. Furthermore, The French and German leaders met for talks after Mr Macron’s speech, and were set to discuss migration, defence co-operation and tax structures for digital companies. Macron also wants Germany’s backing for a European Army, which he has said would reduce the bloc’s dependence to the US, thus calling for a stronger European power on the global stage.
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For further information:
The Guardian.com:
BBC.com:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46254393
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Le Monde.fr:
