Plainly speaking

Getting rid of me risks delaying Brexit, says UK premier Theresa May.

FRAnKFURT: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel consulted on migration, fixing the euro currency, Europe’s defence, taxing digital companies and other issues as the two leaders looked to preserve their influence abroad while their authority flags at home.

Macron, who came to Berlin to take part in Germany’s national remembrance day for the victims of war and dictatorship, urged European governments to seize more responsibility for their own fate, especially regarding defence.

Macron said that the FrenchGerman alliance “is invested with this obligation not to allow the world to slide into chaos, and to accompany it on the road of peace”.

He said that Europe can’t play its role “if it doesn’t take more responsibility for its defence and security and is content to play a secondary role on the international scene”. Macron looked ahead to the European Parliament elections in May, which will give populist and anti-EU parties another chance to test their appeal with voters.

Merkel has offered support for Macron’s proposal for an European army someday. Both leaders have said Europe needs to depend less on others for its defence.

However, ceremonial appearances and warm words offered ahead of a December summit on the euro can’t hide the persistent friction between the French and German approaches to the European Union’s economic issues.

Germany and France have apparently struck a deal on a common budget for the EU countries that use the shared euro currency, something Macron pushed for.

The size of the budget – said to be € €

20bil to 25bil (RM95bil to RM119bil) – is, however, far short of Macron’s idea.