In his first term, French President Emmanuel Macron made a point of visiting each and every EU member state. Those overtures didn¡¯t always land.
Now, with Germany distracted by its own concerns, the president has refashioned himself into the EU leader he¡¯s long believed he could be.
In areas ranging from defense to industrial policy, officials familiar with the European Union¡¯s inner workings say Macron is calling the shots as rarely before. And while his strained relationship with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has subdued the Franco-German duopoly through which he used to get his way, these days he¡¯s wielding influence through a series of quieter partnerships.
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