Due to the riots in France that have been going on for days, President Macron does not want to leave the country for the time being. He canceled the two-day state visit to Germany. Macron should have arrived tomorrow.
It would have been the first state visit by a French president to Germany in more than 20 years. But Emmanuel Macron’s visit will not take place as planned: due to the riots that have been going on in his country for days, Macron has canceled the visit, like this ARD Capital Studio experienced.
A little later, the office of the Federal President said that Macron had called Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and informed him about the situation in his country. “President Macron has asked to postpone the planned state visit to Germany,” said a spokeswoman for Steinmeier. The Federal President regrets the cancellation and fully understands the situation in France. He follows the development with great attention. Steinmeier hopes that the violence on the streets will end soon and that social peace can be restored.
Stations in Berlin, Dresden and Ludwigsburg
Macron and his wife Brigitte were supposed to arrive in Germany on Sunday evening. The visit would have started in Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg. Further stations of the visit would have been Berlin on Monday and Dresden on Tuesday. There, Macron wanted to give a keynote address on Franco-German relations in front of the Frauenkirche.
From the point of view of the Office of the Federal President, the visit was intended to celebrate Franco-German friendship in the 60th year of the existence of the Élysée Treaty and at the same time to open a new chapter.
riots since fatal police shot at 17-year-olds
The protests and riots in France were triggered by the death of 17-year-old Nahel M. The teenager was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic check in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday. He’s supposed to be buried today. An investigation has been launched against the suspected shooter. According to the public prosecutor’s office, he is accused of intentional homicide.
Germany, the UK and the US called on citizens planning to travel to France to exercise caution over the unrest and updated their safety advice.