French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's conservative chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz agreed during a meeting in Paris to open a new chapter in Franco-German relations, a source close to Merz told Reuters.

Friedrich Merz, Germany's likely next head of government, is already trying to shape foreign policy. He is especially concerned about Germany's ailing relationships with France and Poland.

Germany's presumptive next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, described his three-hour meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday as a great success, in which the two leaders found broad agreement.

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will dine with Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday evening, the Elysee said. The palace said the two leaders would meet for a "working dinner" but gave no further detail.