She worked closely with four French presidents. Emmanuel Macron greeted the “exceptional course” Angela Merkel by welcoming her on Wednesday 3 November in Beaune (Côte-d’Or) for the German Chancellor’s farewell to France after 16 years in power.
Relaxed, the Chancellor accompanied the French President with a smile, alongside their husbands, Brigitte Macron and Joachim Sauer, to greet the hundreds of people gathered in the streets of Beaune. After the solemnity of the G20 and COP26 summits, the atmosphere was very friendly between the two leaders, who greeted each other with a warm hug.
One of the highlights of the day was the presentation by Emmanuel Macron of the Grand’Croix, the highest distinction of the order of the Legion of Honor, to the Chancellor. A decoration, awarded to Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt, Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schroeder, and which “embodies the strength of the Franco-German friendship, maintained by Angela Merkel”, according to the French presidency.
“Since you have been Chancellor, France has learned to know and love you”, “during all these years, you have helped to keep Europe united despite all the shocks”, “it is a magnificent European destiny”, affirmed Emmanuel Macron, greeting with emotion the “exceptional course” by Angela Merkel. “Thank you for accepting this impetuous young president who wanted to shake things up”, “thank you for this patience and this indulgence towards me”, he added. Seeming happy to receive this distinction, Angela Merkel also thanked her host.
“What was good with all the presidents is that we shared the same values, even if at the beginning we often had different ideas.”
Angela Merkeltraveling to Beaune (Côte-d’Or)
The French president offered her several gifts, including the document attesting to her first visit to France when she was deputy spokesperson for a delegation from the GDR in 1990, before reunification.