German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday visited Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron just days after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The meeting marks the anniversary of the 1963 Elysee Treaty signed between the countries' respective post-World War II leaders, Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle.

Scholz: Trump will be a 'challenge'

During a joint news conference at the Elysee Palace, the two leaders pledged to act towards a "strong" Europe. 

Scholz said Trump "will be, and so much is already clear, a challenge."

"Europe will not cower and hide, but instead be a constructive and assertive partner," Scholz said, while adding this position will be "the basis for good cooperation with the new American president."

Macron said "it is necessary more than ever for Europeans and for our two countries to play their role of consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe." 

With Trump vowing tariffs on many US trade partners, the German and French leaders noted the steel, car and chemicals industries as important for the European economy. 

The French president said Wednesday that Europe should not only ramp up defense spending "but must also develop its own industrial base, its own capacities, its own industry." 

Trump: The EU is 'very, very bad to us'

A day prior, Trump told journalists that the "European Union is very, very bad to us," while threatening tariffs to get "fairness" from the bloc.  

Scholz and Macron have previously discussed the possible effects of a Trump administration returning to the White House and what this would mean for Europe.

In November, Macron had said they would work for a "more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe" and that this would be done in "cooperation with the US."

In addition to the Trump administration and trade, other topics of discussion between Macron and Scholz on Wednesday include Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Middle East conflict.          

kb,wd/sms (dpa, DW sources)