On May 7, 2025, Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made his first foreign visit to France, came together in Paris with France’s President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders agreed on revitalizing the relations between Germany and France and on developing joint solutions to the problems Europe is facing. It was stated that Europe should act unitedly especially against the unpredictable policies of the President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump, and in the fight against the Russian threat. In the meeting, topics such as continuation of support to Ukraine and border security in the fight against irregular migration were also discussed.
In the Macron-Merz meeting, the issue of European security and defense was brought to the forefront. Macron announced that the France-Germany partnership would be deepened and that the French-German Security and Defense Council, which will convene regularly to develop operational responses against common strategic challenges, would be established.[1] With the French-German Security and Defense Council, it is aimed to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in defense projects such as tanks, warplanes, and long-range missiles. In this context, it was expressed that in addition to existing projects, efforts would be made to develop Europe’s defense capacity in the field of defense. In the future, it is aimed for the Council to control the support to Ukraine, ensure coordination in national defense planning and procurement projects, and develop new responses to strategic questions of security and defense policy.[2]
Russia’s near-abroad policies, Trump’s trade policies, his reluctance to take responsibility in ensuring Europe’s security, and attempts to interfere in Germany’s domestic affairs through far-right parties and political movements have brought Germany under Merz’s leadership closer to Macron’s line regarding Europe’s security. France’s President Macron claimed that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had suffered a brain death and France became the leading country regarding the view that Europe should build its own defense. Germany, on the other hand, has accepted with the Russia-Ukraine war that Europe’s security should be ensured in a Europe-centered way. In this context, both France and Germany want to reduce dependence on the USA and develop an autonomous European defense capacity, and as a result, are taking the first step with the French-German Security and Defense Council initiative.
Essentially, the coming together of France’s military capabilities and Germany’s economic power can create a transformative effect in EU defense. Indeed, both countries have been effective in implementing a successful peace project like European integration, and also have experience and projects under the umbrella of the European Union (EU) aimed at strengthening the European defense industry. France and Germany are active members of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which provides an opportunity for EU member states to carry out joint projects in the field of defense and to develop capability. The two countries lead many projects within the scope of the European Defence Fund (EDF), which provides resources for defense research and joint industrial projects.
Similarly, they also have inter-country projects conducted through special agreements. There is a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) partnership between France, Germany, and Spain to develop a 6th-generation warplane. France and Germany are involved in efforts aimed at developing a next-generation land combat system that will replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks with the joint Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).[3] Projects like this within the scope of MGCS are important due to giving the opportunity to plan and develop the EU’s defense capacity.
On January 22, 2019, also, the Aachen Treaty was signed between France and Germany. Thanks to these signed agreements, it was aimed to develop a common stance between the parties on foreign policy, defense, and security issues; and to increase Europe’s defense capacity. However, the expected France-Germany harmony was not achieved in this agreement. Therefore, in the partnership to be established between France and Germany, just as much as the opportunities, the constraints must not be ignored either. First of all, many wars experienced between the two countries in the past damaged the feeling of trust between the parties and caused the parties to approach each other cautiously.
Secondly; there is competition between the two countries regarding European leadership. France is concerned that its claim of being the political and military leader of the EU is overshadowed by Germany’s economic power. Germany, on the other hand, avoids Europe’s defense initiatives that are shaped according to France’s terms. Thirdly; there are differences between the parties in their understanding of strategic autonomy. France defends that Europe should act militarily and strategically independent from the USA and that NATO’s role should be limited. Germany, while supporting strategic autonomy, thinks that this should be done not in a way that weakens NATO but in a way that complements NATO. The new Chancellor Merz defined initiatives aimed at strengthening European defense such as the French-German Security and Defense Council as joint measures to further strengthen the European pillar within NATO.[4] This situation is interpreted by France as delaying strategic autonomy.
Fourthly; there is a military imbalance between the two countries. The fact that France is the only country within the EU possessing nuclear weapons and that Germany does not have such a capacity may limit Germany’s sphere of influence. Finally; as in the example of Libya, in foreign policy, France can make the decision to use force more easily compared to Germany. Deepening between the two countries in areas such as security and defense may force Germany to take sides in international crises in a way it does not desire.
Therefore, all these matters constitute obstacles in deepening and ensuring continuity of the partnership to be established between France and Germany, the two great powers of the EU, in the area of defense and security. As a result, the French-German Security and Defense Council initiative is an important step in increasing Europe’s defense capacity and in reaching the goal of strategic autonomy. Considering the two countries’ military and economic capacities and past partnerships in the field of defense, the Council has the power potential to shape the European security architecture in favor of Europe. However, the skeptical approaches of France and Germany to each other, stemming from their historical memory and differences in vision, constitute an obstacle in the success of the German-French defense partnership. In this context, in strengthening European security and defense, rather than bilateral partnerships, it is necessary to give opportunity to broader participation formations by including regional powers.
[1] Sophia Khatsenkova, Merz-Macron meeting: Germany and France to set up ‘joint defence and security council, Euronews, https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/05/07/germany-and-france-to-set-up-joint-defence-and-security-council, (Accession Date: 09.05.2025).
[2] Rudy Ruitenberg, Macron, Merz vow closer defense ties in reboot of French-German couple, Defence News, https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/05/08/macron-merz-vow-closer-defense-ties-in-reboot-of-french-german-couple/, (Accession Date: 09.05.2025).
[3] MGCS Projesinde Kritik Gelişme: Fransız-Alman Ortak Şirketi Kuruldu, csavunma, https://csavunma.com/mgcs-projesinde-kritik-gelisme-fransiz-alman-ortak-sirketi-kuruldu/.html, (Accession Date: 09.05.2025).
[4] Defence News, ibid.
