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".

The French president and the German chancellor met on Wednesday, July 23, to prepare for a joint cabinet meeting scheduled for August 29. From defense projects to trade negotiations, several disagreements remain.

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.