19/01/2018 (Agence Europe) – The French president said on Friday 19 January that France ‘needed’ Germany if it wants to reform Europe. He was speaking during a meeting with the German Chancellor on the anniversary of the Élysée Treaty. Macron said the French ambition needs to be conjugated with German ambition and he believed they shared this vision of defending greater sovereignty and the more democratic nature of this Europe. He added that if they continued to agree on the ends, then they would be able to construct the means that arise from the ends. Merkel said that it was crucial in terms of taking action in Europe to have a stable government in Germany. The Social Democratic party will give its views on Sunday on the opening of formal negotiations with Merkel’s Christian Democrat party on forming a coalition government (see EUROPE 11938). (MB)