Just time to settle in Berlin and here Friedrich Merz In Paris to be blessed by Emmanuel Macron With a warm selfie and the usual European facade rhetoric. The French president called him his “new great friend”, between smiles, ceremonial phrases and the usual “working lunch” at the Elysée. But behind the scenes, the first act of the new German Chancellor has all the flavor of yet another diplomatic staging in Franco-German sauce: the “axis” between the two countries is relaunched, the defense cooperation is promised, large floors are evoked, but the reality is visible to the naked eye: both Macron and Merz are two weak leaders, indeed very weak.
In the concrete, Paris and Berlin have announced a “common defense and security advice”, a structure that should – in intentions – gather “regularly” to coordinate strategic responses. Words, understanding, promises. But on the Ukrainian dossier, for example, Merz was clear: Europe will be able to play a role only after Americans have signed a respite. No autonomous initiative, no European leadership. He expects, he obeys Washington.
Macron tried to seem more decisive against Moscow, but then he asked himself rhetorically if “Putin will be serious”: “Beyond the three promised days and who will not probably be respected, like the previous ones, the Russian president is finally serious? Finally he decides to respect the word given and above all given in the interviews with the American administration? Is this that interests us”. Meanwhile, it relaunches the idea of a 30 -day respite, with the air of those who already know that it will not be respected. We are still to the diplomacy of the intentions. The German Chancellor also opened to nuclear cooperation with France and the United Kingdom, but immediately pointed out: nobody touches the American atomic umbrella.
The two leaders said they are “worried” for the escalation between India and Pakistan, “alarmed” for the situation in Gaza – and who is not? – And they invoked humanity and help. But here too, zero concrete proposals, zero actions, only a long string of effect phrases, good for press releases. Macron took the opportunity to wanding Israel on “forced transfers”, evoking an “unprecedented” humanitarian crisis, while the neo-gangliere nodded. All seasoned with a photo posted on X with affectionate caption: “With a new great friend”. In the end, Merz reciprocated the tweet: “We will strengthen the European pillar of NATO”. The key word is always the same: born. Europe continues to tell each other as autonomous, but remains what it is: a well -armed province of the American empire. European diplomacy seems so now reduced to this: Posts, hugs and illusions of influence.
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