They already call it “Merzcron”: the most important alliance in Europe is again at all steam

The intertwined hands of the French and German leaders have long symbolized the spirit of European unity – more notoriously in 1984, when François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl ran their hands in Verdun, in a gesture of reconciliation.

Therefore, when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz squeezed the hand of French President Emmanuel Macron in the Elisha Palace steps in early May – a long, warm tightening and accompanied by backs – not just a photographic moment. It was the clearest sign so far that the most important alliance in Europe is again moving. After years of stumbling and frustrations under Olaf Scholz, the Franco -German engine has been working again – and now has a new name: Merzcron.

Since Merz’s election, the two have met six times – more recently with other NATO leaders in The Hague. They were together again Thursday at the European Council meeting in Brussels.

And they have a common agenda: conducting the European Union’s response to safety, Ukraine, and uncertainties linked to a possible new Trump era, and shaping Europe’s role on the global stage.

Before the NATO summit on Wednesday, Macron and Merz presented their joint view in an opinion article published in the Financial Times: “In these challenging times, Germany and France – together with our European and transatlantic friends and allies – they remain united and strong to defend our common values ​​as well as the freedom and safety of our citizens.”

They announced plans to increase defense investment – with the objective of reaching 3.5% of GDP in essential military expenses – and deepening cooperation between NATO and EU, appealing to a stronger, more sovereign Europe, which no longer depend on third parties for its safety. They have pledged to ensure that Ukraine becomes “prosperous, robust and safe” and warned that European stability in the coming decades is at stake.

It seems that the powerful Mercron or Merkozy alliance – junctions of the names of Angela Merkel, Macron and her predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy – is evolving into an equally influential Merzcron.

The two -day summit of the European Council, now ongoing in Brussels, shortly after the G7 meeting in Canada and the NATO leaders summit in The Hague, is the first under Merz’s leadership. It will probably be another demonstration of the strength of this union.

CNN spoke to two unavoidable figures of the Franco-German partnership-former French president François Hollande, who worked closely with Merkel, and Wolfgang Ischinger, former German deputy secretary of state and described as the best-connected European diplomat-to evaluate his importance for Europe and the world.

Leaders who “like to interact”

Under Scholz, the former German chancellor, the Berlin-Paris axis has become tense, something that both Ischinger and Hollande underline. Stefan Seidendorf, director of the Franco-German Institute in Ludwigsburg, Germany, said that Scholz spent so long to “do internal homework” that he could never focus entirely on Europe.

The tripartite coalition he led was marked by internal disputes on national and European issues, eventually collapsing last November, which triggered early elections.

But there were also interpersonal problems. “It was difficult for Macron to deal with such a Protestant politician from northern Germany, not emotional and tasteless for great symbols of political leadership,” Seidendorf told CNN by telephone.

The same applied to Scholz: “He found it difficult to relate to this French president to live in a golden and ceremonial palace.”

However, a friendship between Macron and Merz was also guaranteed, given their distinct styles. Macron, 47, is Jupiterian and theatrical – praised by some visionary, accused by others of narcissism. Merz, 69, is impulsive, irritated under pressure and sometimes leans into a populist discourse.

Nevertheless, Ischinger says they both “understood themselves quickly – and aligned strategies.” And he adds that they share personality traits: “They like to interact. They face difficult questions. They have a way to understand – they are open.”

“Perfect Unit” on Ukraine

Merzcron’s most obvious manifestation has been support for Ukraine. Hollande told CNN that the two have already been “effective” on this front. The recent visit to Kiev, along with British and Polish leaders Keir Stmerer and Donald Tusk, “was a symbol of a new kind of cooperation determined among the great European powers,” said Ischinger.

Paris has long been more assertive than Berlin in supporting Ukraine. Macron has defended the sending of troops and allowed Ukraine to use long -range French missiles in Russian territory.

However, Hollande acknowledges that “Merz’s position is different from his predecessor … including regarding the sending of missiles capable of reaching Russian territory.”

Since taking office, Merz has received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin and has announced a new $ 5 billion package (four billion euros) to Ukraine, which includes cooperation in the development of long -range missiles, some of which may be operational by the end of the year. “Now we are in perfect unity,” Ischinger said about Franco-German alignment as to Ukraine.

Russia’s restlessness with this new coordination is already beginning to manifest.

Merz and Macron’s visit to Kyiv last month was accompanied by the release of a photograph before a meeting between the two. At the table, a white handkerchief was seen.

His presence generated an online rumor – amplified by Kremlin officials and tracked to pro -Russian accounts – who falsely claimed that the borrocated handkerchief (which Macron took and kept in his pocket) was a bag of cocaine.

Elisha reacted: “When European unity becomes inconvenient, misinformation goes so far as to transform a simple drug scarf. This fake news is being spread by the enemies of France, both outside and inside.”

European security

Donald Trump’s possible return to the White House has forced a new alignment between the European powers, especially with regard to Europe’s safety. The insistence of the Trump administration that Europe should do more for its own defense has boosted this change, Hollande explained. “Forced France and Germany to work together diplomatically and militarily, when until then their main alignment was on monetary matters.”

“Today there is a shared responsibility. Germany should do more for its defense, and France must be willing to share several proposals and initiatives – including defense – with Germany,” said Hollande.

Even before taking possession formally, Merz was able to approve the reform of the German debt constitutional brake to unlock more than half a thousand dollars in military expense. It has also pledged to create the largest army in Europe-both measures represent a radical turn to Germany.

Previously, Hollande recognizes such steps would be difficult to accept to France. “Before, we were very reluctant about German rearmament. It was a politically sensitive theme after the war. But today, no one in France fears the rearmament of Germany – we welcomed him,” he said.

Macron and Merz also seem to adopt a similar approach to dealing with Trump. Both have had warm and positive meetings in the Oval Hall with a president who has not always been receptive to European leaders.

The center of Europe is changing

Paris and Berlin also seek to revive the old ‘Weimar Triangle’. Created after German reunification in 1991, it aimed to integrate Poland more deeply into the European sphere, led by Germany and France.

Ischinger considers that the European Union’s center of gravity has moved to the east due to the war in Ukraine, making Warsaw an indispensable ally for Paris and Berlin. “The harmony between France and Germany is essential, but not enough,” he noted.

“The center of the old EU was somewhere between France and Germany. But today, almost half of the Member States are east of Germany,” he added, arguing that giving Poland more protagonism is the best way to unite the continent.

This change is already underway. In addition to participating in the visit to Kiev, Tusk has been directly involved in European talks with Trump, while the US president tries to mediate an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Poland is currently the fastest growing economy in Europe, it has one of the biggest contributions to NATO (4.2% of GDP in 2024, with 4.7% forecast this year), and its geographical location – on the border with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus – makes it a nevalgic point for the continent.

Still, for Hollande, “Europe only advances when France and Germany speak to one voice and pull in the same direction. Only then does the European machine work in full.”

Ischinger reinforces: “If Franco-German cooperation works well, we have the ideal condition to put the entire European Union in motion.”

For now, the Merzcron engine is starting – and, if it keeps the pace, it may well put the rest of Europe in march.