Tusk speaks with Germany's anticipated new chancellor
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has held talks with Friedrich Merz, the leader of the political grouping that won the recent parliamentary elections in Germany, who is expected to assume the role of the next chancellor.
Following its victory in Germany's early federal election, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance is conducting preliminary discussions with a potential coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD).
Merz is hoping to begin coalition negotiations with SPD shortly and to form the country's new government still in April, before the Easter holiday.
He has also reached out to various international leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron. The two men met on Wednesday to discuss a new opening in German-French relations, as reported by Reuters.
On Thursday, the Polish Prime Minister's Office announced via the X platform that Tusk and Merz had held a conversation concerning "the political landscape following the election in Germany, Europe's security and defence capabilities, and the current situation in Ukraine."
Throughout his pre-election campaign, Merz repeatedly called for enhanced collaboration between Germany and France as well as within the Weimar Triangle, a regional alliance comprising Germany, France and Poland. According to the German newspaper Bild, Merz envisions his government as the new driving force of Europe. Prior to the election, Bild indicated that if Merz were to assume the role of German chancellor, his initial visits would be to Paris and Warsaw. (PAP)
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