Brussels – Friedrich Merz indulged in a full tour of the European capital, where he met with the top leaders of EU institutions. Always with the same message: “Germany is back” and is preparing to take back the leading role it has traditionally occupied in the EU. Especially with regard to defence, competitiveness, and management of migration flows.
To be sure, Friedrich Merz has not had a very boring few days. In the aftermath of his election as federal chancellor in a high-tension vote at the Bundestag, the CDU leader immediately travelled to Paris and Warsaw to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Today (May 9), Merz is meeting with the EU top leaders in Brussels.
European Defence and Ukraine
He began in the morning at the Europa Palace, where he had a brief exchange with the president of the European Council, António Costa. The latter assured that he found “full alignment” between the priorities of the new government in Berlin and those of the Union on competitiveness, security, and migration, hoping that the Christian Democratic leader would “continue to keep Germany at the centre of European decision-making.”
It was a pleasure to receive you on Europe Day, dear @bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz!
We are fully aligned on our common priorities: building up our competitiveness and reindustrialising our economies, strengthening our defence capabilities, reinforcing our strategic autonomy,… pic.twitter.com/mlfBXdhiL5
– António Costa (@eucopresident)
May 9, 2025
The new Bundeskanzler reiterated that one of the priorities of the CDU-SPD executive is to join forces with EU partners to “build a European defence industry.” After all, European security, Merz repeated, is inextricably linked with the defence of Ukraine. Therefor. Therefore, Berlin will continue supporting Kyiv on the ground and at the negotiating tables.
In his telephone conversation last night with Donald Trump, the German leader “supported the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire” without conditions. However, he also noted that “pressure must be increased on Moscow” to accept a prolonged and total ceasefire, including through coordinated sanctions with Washington, if necessary.
Tariffs and Competitiveness
The other hot-button issue dealing with the United States is tariffs. Merz emphasised that EU trade is a common policy and that the White House cannot think of replicating bilateral agreements with member countries as it did with the UK. The chancellor argues that Trump “understood this, “ adding that he received an invitation from the tycoon. And he notes that “we also need to talk about mutual recognition of technological standards,” calling for further coordination between the chancelleries of the Twenty-Seven and with the Commission.
Having greeted Costa, Merz walked across the street to the Berlaymont, where he met with his party colleague Ursula von der Leyen (both come from the ranks of the CDU). The head of the 12-star executive said he agreed with the chancellor on the “need for a mindset of urgency” regarding at least four priorities related to the competitiveness dossier. Bridging the innovation gap with international partners, lowering energy costs, completing the unification of capital markets and simplifying the regulatory framework.
“We must complete the single market, which is at the heart of our competitiveness,” Merz said, aiming to “strengthen industrial capacity” in Europe. To do that, “we need to reduce regulations” stifling businesses, and so welcome any Omnibus packages that Brussels will want to propose.
Migration and Asylum
Another central issue is that of immigration. Berlin has in recent hours reintroduced border controls to “deal with illegal immigration,” explained the Bundeskanzler, assuring, however, that these measures are “fair, legal, and in line with European law” and stating that it has notified its neighbours.
“The Dublin Regulation states that asylum should be sought in the country of first arrival, but Germany has no external borders.” Therefore, it is not possible for so many requests to be made in the Bundesrepublik, he argued. But “we don’t want to leave the security of the external borders only to those who have them,” he assured, “because they are European borders and we need to support the efforts” of countries, such as Poland, that share the border with non-EU neighbours.
Support comes from von der Leyen: “Member States can introduce border controls, as long as they are proportionate and limited in time and coordinated with neighbouring countries,” as he says Berlin is doing. However, we need to speed up the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which “requires investment and a lot of work.” Once implemented, the new rules will “strengthen common external borders, provide a unified approach to entry conditions, and clarify solidarity mechanisms,” she certifies.
In this regard, the chairwoman also announced that an additional €3 billion will be made available to Member States to transpose the provisions of the legislative package into their legal systems and implement them fully as soon as possible. On the other hand, the Commission chairwoman remarked that Member States must do more to increase returns, starting with partnerships with third countries.
The symbolism of May 9
Merz’s visit to Brussels did not take place on just any day. Just as in Moscow’s Red Square Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrates 80 years since the Soviet victory over Nazi troops, in the EU on May 9 we celebrate Europe Day, in remembrance of the declaration with which the then French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1950, the first embryo of what is now the Union of 27.
“A much more political than economic reasoning,” in the chancellor’s words, according to which, today as 75 years ago, no country on the Old Continent can think of overcoming challenges alone. Merz returns to the EU institutions today as head of government, but he had already served as an MEP between 1989 and 1994, when he “saw firsthand the development of legislation to create the European single market.”
“I am very happy to be able to visit the EU institutions on my third day in office,” he concluded, stressing that it is a “return home,” and promising that Berlin will return to play an “active role” in the Union, “in the interest of Europe, but also the interest of Germany.” To conclude his Brussels day, the Bundeskanzler then met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. He finally went to NATO headquarters for an exchange with the head of the alliance, Mark Rutte.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
