German president says Berlin will remain committed to Europe during France visit

Skip to main contentEuropeGerman president says Berlin will remain committed to Europe during France visit'Germany can only be successful as a European Germany,' Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Seyma Erkul Dayanc08 October 2026•Update: 08 October 2026ISTANBUL

Germany would remain committed to Europe despite political and economic changes in the country, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday.

“The Germans will remain good Europeans, despite all the changes taking place here — economically, politically, and especially in security policy,” Steinmeier said after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron during a state visit to France, according to German newspaper Die Zeit.

“Germany can only be successful as a European Germany, closely embedded in the EU. That is true and will remain so for us,” he added.

“If Germany and France do not move forward together, Europe will not move forward at all,” Macron said.

He said cooperation between the two countries was important to “strengthen our democracies and their vitality” at a time when “conspiracy theories and skepticism sometimes gain the upper hand.”

The two presidents also discussed challenges facing their countries, with Steinmeier saying political polarization and the growing strength of radical political forces were making it more difficult to form governments and govern.

“We will not escape our growth crisis if everything remains as it is,” Steinmeier said, adding that “reforms have become even more difficult.”

The meeting was also a farewell visit, as both Steinmeier and Macron are due to leave office next year.

Steinmeier's visit is the first state visit to France by a German federal president in 13 years, according to the German government.

Macron, for his part, said the two countries “understand the price of war, the need for reconciliation and the value of peace.”

“Our friendship, which is etched in history, is our greatest strength and represents promise for all of Europe,” Macron said.

German president says Berlin will remain committed to Europe during France visit

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