"It is up to us to make the Franco-German engine stronger than ever" – those were the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, when he congratulated Friedrich Merz on becoming Chancellor of Germany. 

Merz’s own political engine had a problem, though; in an unprecedented upset, he failed to win the backing he needed from the German parliament in the first vote on his chancellorship on May 6th, only securing the majority he needed in a second vote later the same day. Does this mean that he’s starting out from a fragile position as he and his French counterpart try to re-invigorate the crucial Franco-German partnership in the EU? Or was it merely a hiccup that will be forgotten once the two leaders get going on common projects, especially in the critical field of defence? We discuss with our guests from France and Germany at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. 

Programme prepared by Perrine Desplats, Oihana Almandoz, Isabelle Romero and Luke Brown