World
Macron and Merz meet at Bensberg Castle ahead of July 17 Franco-German summit
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met on the evening of July 16, 2026 at Bensberg Castle near Cologne to prepare for the Franco-German government summit scheduled for Friday, July 17 in Rhineland. Macron expressed his willingness to inject new momentum into bilateral cooperation and advance together on major international issues. He affirmed that recent months have brought 'a genuine rapprochement between France and Germany in the European agenda' and called for accelerating Europe's strategic awakening.