Merz Hosts Macron in Berlin Amid Divergences: What to Watch (1)

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.

Merz will host Macron at the historic Villa Borsig on Berlin’s outskirts, where the German leader has arranged a symbolic evening: a garden stroll, a short jazz performance by trumpet virtuoso Till Brönner, and a private dinner. The event is set to lay the groundwork for a much broader French-German joint cabinet meeting that will be held in late August.

Yet despite the carefully curated program, ...