Overview

• Merz is being received at the presidential summer residence in a rare honor, only previously extended to Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel.
• Friday’s Franco‑German ministerial meeting in Toulon will run in a slimmed‑down format focused on economic policy and defense coordination, with a security and defense council also set to convene.
• Sensitive defense‑industrial issues, notably the FCAS next‑generation fighter, will not be discussed in detail, with decisions now expected by year’s end instead of late August.
• Prime Minister François Bayrou has set a September 8 confidence vote, citing debt risks, a move that could unseat his minority government and complicate implementation of any new Franco‑German ‘roadmaps.’
• Merz and Macron have cultivated a quick rapport and are coordinating on European security and Ukraine, yet experts warn France’s budget strains and political instability call its short‑term reliability into question.