Macron Arrives in Germany on State Visit

Facts

French Pres. Emmanuel Macron on Sunday began a three-day state visit to Germany — the first by a French head of state in 24 years — ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections.¹
After landing in Berlin, Macron rejected claims that French-German ties were eroding and described the bilateral relations as 'indispensable and important for Europe.'²
Pointing to the European elections in June, Macron warned of a 'form of fascination for authoritarianism' growing in both countries and pronounced the EU as a defender of democracy and shared values.³
German Pres. Frank-Walter Steinmeier described Macron's visit as 'proof of the depth of the Franco-German friendship' and emphasized that Berlin and Paris always 'come to an agreement in the end' despite their differences.⁴
Far-right parties have gained strong support in France and Germany in recent years and are expected to poll well in the June European elections.⁵

Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. Macron's state visit comes at the right time to underline the strength of Franco-German ties despite sometimes differing political views. Europe is not only facing internal threats from the rise of far-right parties but also global geopolitical shifts from the rise of autocratic regimes. However, Europe has the potential to emerge from these challenges stronger and more resilient if the electorate opts for the right political course to defend its values.
Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by POLITICO. Macron's visit is meant to demonstrate alleged unity between the two major European countries. However, while Scholz and Macron project Europe's problems onto the far right, the electorate feels that their policies are increasingly detached from people's real concerns. Voters are not primarily concerned about European policy or the Ukraine war but about national security and migration issues and are likely to express their discontent in the European elections.