On Thursday, at an informal EU summit in Belgium, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron signaled a clear consensus. “We want to make the European Union faster and better, and we must especially ensure that Europe has a competitive industry” Merz said, adding that he and Macron were in agreement on these points “almost as always”.
Macron echoed this sense of urgency, pointing out two main challenges: unfair competition and intense pressure from China on one side, and tariffs along with the threat of forced measures from the United States on the other. “All of this requires a response” he remarked.
The French president highlighted a robust German‑French accord on the Capital Markets Union. He also stressed the importance of expanding partnerships and diversifying them to reduce economic risks. Protecting particularly vulnerable critical sectors and financing innovation were identified as additional priorities.
Macron said progress on these issues would be reviewed in June. He added that for topics where consensus among all 27 member states cannot be reached, the EU should have the right to pursue stronger cooperation with other groups to advance more quickly.
