Merkel, Macron reaffirm their partnership

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Friday in Paris, in an altered political atmosphere where longtouted European reforms may prove even more difficult to achieve.

Since his election in May 2017, Mr. Macron — largely in hopes of countering the rising populist tide across the continent — has advocated significant Europewide reforms that include the creation of a European finance minister and a separate euro zone budget. Although Ms. Merkel has long been skeptical about some of these ideas, she also has expressed a clear interest in finding common ground with Mr. Macron, especially in an era of U.S. withdrawal from the international stage.

But the Friday meeting was the first encounter between the two European leaders since Germany struggled to solidify a government before Ms. Merkel was ultimately sworn in for a fourth term as chancellor. Although she won re-election, her hold on power is not as strong as it once was, and some of her allies balk at the idea of Germany, Europe’s strongest economy, mutualizing debts with countries in more complicated financial situations.

Mr. Macron used a bilateral news conference to emphasize that France has already made significant progress reforming its labor market — the same reforms Germans had previously said were necessary before any European-level reforms couldbe entertained.

“For years, Germany waited for France to carry out itsreforms,” Mr. Macron said. “France has made them these last months, in circumstances previously unseen and with willingness. And we will continuetoputtheminplace.” On her side, Ms. Merkel spoke on a general level, emphasizing the need to act together.

“We want to find a path,” she said.

Her finance minister, Olaf Scholz, in a meeting with Bruno Le Maire, Mr. Macron’s finance minister, said much the same thing. “We need to integrate further,” he told reporters.

But the actual extent of Ms. Merkel’s commitment on the issue remains unclear. This week, she said that Germany will increase its contributions to the EU budget, but would not guarantees countries’ liabilities.