German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Friday that Germany will participate in a French military nuclear exercise later this year. The decision follows a joint meeting of the German and French governments held near Cologne, where the two nations sought to bolster their strategic cooperation. According to Merz, the move is intended to complement existing nuclear participation and deterrence strategies within NATO, which both countries maintain their commitment to.
In addition to the nuclear exercises, Merz confirmed that Germany will participate in an autumn maneuver initiated by France, with the specific nature of this involvement currently under discussion. French President Emmanuel Macron also highlighted plans for a Multinational Force for Ukraine. This force, intended for deployment once the conflict concludes, will conduct exercises in neighboring countries in the coming months to validate deployment plans and demonstrate readiness.
To support these efforts, a newly established strategic steering group will examine methods to strengthen future deterrence. Beyond defense, the leaders are shifting their focus toward economic policy, specifically regarding China. Macron stated that the two nations aim to finalize a joint roadmap by September to address what he described as Beijing's unfair trade practices. He noted that current Chinese trade policies are placing significant pressure on European industries, including the automotive, machine tool, and chemical sectors.
Macron emphasized the need for the European Commission to accelerate market investigations and utilize stronger instruments to protect European companies. Chancellor Merz echoed these concerns, pointing to the sharp rise in the EU's trade deficit with China in recent years as a trend that must be addressed to protect domestic industry. While France has long advocated for a tougher stance on Beijing, Germany has historically remained more cautious due to significant business investments in the country. The upcoming roadmap aims to reconcile these positions and provide a unified response to the growing economic imbalance.
Paris and Berlin want "to have a Franco-German roadmap on this issue by September", he said, with their economy, finance and foreign ministers tasked with formulating the plan.
"We want to protect our companies and our industries. We've seen it in chemicals, we see it in machine tools, in the automotive sector and in many others."
