Macron Postpones State Visit to Germany as Riots Rock France

French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a long-anticipated trip to Germany amid violent unrest at home triggered by the police killing of a 17-year-old boy, a further sign the tense domestic situation is encroaching on his international agenda.

(Bloomberg) — French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a long-anticipated trip to Germany amid violent unrest at home triggered by the police killing of a 17-year-old boy, a further sign the tense domestic situation is encroaching on his international agenda.

Macron already left early from a gathering of European leaders in Brussels on Friday to attend a meeting about the crisis. He decided he wouldn’t travel to Germany on Sunday after violence continued overnight, people familiar with his schedule said.

The official three-day visit, which was to include a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a boat tour, has high symbolic significance, especially as the two countries have been disagreeing in recent months over issues ranging from energy to defense. The leaders were set to discuss Ukraine’s EU membership bid, and how to provide Kyiv with security guarantees. 

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