German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin on Wednesday. It was Macron's first visit to the country since the German elections earlier this year, with both sides pledging to increase cross-border cooperation "at all levels".

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to roll out the red carpet for French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin Wednesday evening in an effort to project goodwill between the two leaders amid growing tensions.

French President Macron travels to Berlin today for the third display of Franco-German affection since German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party won elections in February — though this time discussions promise to be trickier, write Anne-Sylvaine Chassany and Leila Abboud.