Macron vs Germany: Who Really Runs Europe Now?

France pushes strategic autonomy and military power, while Germany remains Europe’s economic engine with a more cautious geopolitical stance

President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Athens and his renewed push for “European strategic autonomy” revive a long-standing but now urgent question: who actually leads the European Union today—France or Germany?

The reality is that Europe no longer has a single center of gravity. Instead, it operates as a dual-power system, where Paris and Berlin both shape the EU—but in very different ways.

Macron: Europe’s “Geopolitical President”

Macron has consistently tried to reposition France as:

• the EU’s strategic leader
• a military and defense power
• and the driver of European sovereignty

 Core message:

“Europe must be able to defend itself.” (Macron’s repeated strategic doctrine since 2017)

In practice, this translates into:

• pushing for a stronger European defense identity
• reducing dependence on the United States within NATO structures
• expanding French-led defense cooperation agreements (like with Greece)
• active diplomacy in the Mediterranean, Africa, and the Middle East

France acts as a “hard power political actor”, not just an economic player.

 Germany: Europe’s “Economic Architect”

Germany remains:

• the largest economy in the EU
• the main contributor to EU financial stability
• the industrial backbone of Europe

However, post-Merkel and especially after the Ukraine war:

• German foreign policy is more cautious
• military leadership remains limited
• domestic politics prioritizes fiscal stability and economic security

 German approach:

“Stability comes from economics and institutions, not military leadership.”

Germany acts as a system stabilizer, not a geopolitical initiator.

 The Real Power Structure in Europe

Today’s EU is not led by one dominant power. Instead, it reflects a functional division of roles:

France → Geopolitical Power

• military capability
• nuclear deterrence
• foreign intervention capacity
• strategic autonomy agenda

Germany → Economic Power

• industrial dominance
• trade leadership
• fiscal influence
• institutional stability

In simple terms:

• France thinks like a strategic power
• Germany operates like a financial system

 Where Greece Fits Into This Balance

Greece has increasingly leaned toward France for three key reasons:

1.  Security guarantees

France provides:

• a mutual defense clause
• advanced military equipment (Rafale jets, frigates)
• rapid political support in Eastern Mediterranean tensions

2.  Geopolitical alignment

Paris and Athens share interests in:

• Eastern Mediterranean stability
• Libya and North Africa
• energy routes and maritime security

3.  Balance against Germany

Germany traditionally:

• prioritizes fiscal discipline and economic governance
• avoids direct military involvement in regional disputes

 Who is “winning” in Europe?

It depends on what we define as leadership:

Economic dominance:Germany clearly leads.

 Geopolitical influence: France is more active and visible.

 Overall leadership: The EU has no single commander—only a divided authority system

 Europe’s Structural Problem

The EU still lacks:

• a unified military force
• a single foreign policy doctrine
• a centralized geopolitical strategy

This creates a vacuum where:

• France fills the security/strategy gap
• Germany fills the economic/governance gap

There is no single “boss of Europe.”

• Germany remains the economic engine
• France is becoming the geopolitical strategist
• and the EU itself remains a hybrid system of shared but fragmented power

Macron is not replacing Germany—he is attempting to do what Germany avoids: turn Europe into a strategic global power.

Source: pagenews.gr