French President Emmanuel Macron and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, along with their partners Brigitte Macron and Elke Budenbender, participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial on Monday morning. This visit marked the first official state visit by a French president to Germany in 24 years. The ceremony, commemorating the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, took place at the memorial near the Brandenburg Gate.
Both couples walked through the memorial's concrete blocks, with Brigitte Macron and Elke Budenbender seen holding hands and sharing a moment of levity. The event marks the second day of Macron's state visit, aimed at reinforcing Franco-German relations amidst various geopolitical challenges, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and potential political shifts in the U.S.
After the ceremony, the delegations visited an accompanying museum dedicated to Holocaust victims. During the visit, Macron emphasized the importance of the Franco-German relationship in the current European context, while Steinmeier underscored the need for cooperative efforts between Germany and France to navigate existing geopolitical challenges.
Macron's visit also included a walkthrough at the Brandenburg Gate with Berlin's mayor Kai Wegner and scheduled engagements in Dresden and Muenster. A key highlight of his visit is the cabinet meeting in Meseberg, where both governments aim to address critical issues like defense and competitiveness within the EU framework.