In Berlin for state visit, Macron makes plea to defend democracy

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Berlin on the first state visit to Germany by a French President in a quarter century, bringing a plea to defend democracy against nationalism at upcoming European elections.

Emmanuel Macron arrived on Sunday in Berlin on the first state visit to Germany by a French President in a quarter century, bringing a plea to defend democracy against nationalism at upcoming European elections.

Mr. Macron made an appearance at a democracy festival his first stop, where, accompanied by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, he warned of a "form of fascination for authoritarianism which is growing" in the two major EU nations.

"We forget too often that it's a fight" to protect democracy, Mr. Macron said.

If the nationalists had been in power in Europe in the last years, "history would not have been the same", he said, pointing to decisions on the coronavirus pandemic or Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We need an alliance of democrats in Europe," Mr. Steinmeier said.

Mr. Macron "has rightly pointed out that the conditions today before the European elections is different from the previous election, a lot has happened".

The trip comes two weeks ahead of European elections where polls show, in a major potential embarrassment for Mr. Macron, that his coalition is trailing well behind the far right and may struggle to even reach third place.