French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday difficult questions can often be solved only when Germany and France work together.

Macron spoke at a ceremony in Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag,  honoring the late lawmaker Wolfgang Schäuble.

"Germany has lost a statesman. Europe has lost a pillar. France has lost a friend," Macron, who delivered most of his speech in German, said.

Veteran of German politics

The former speaker of the Bundestag and finance minister, Schäuble, died on December 26, 2023, aged 81.

Around 1,500 dignitaries and politicians, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz annd former Chancellor Angela Merkel, attended the ceremony.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's main opposition Christian Democrats, whom Schäuble represented for a record 51 years in parliament, hailed his commitment to German democracy, Franco-German friendship and European cooperation.

"We pay tribute to a true statesman of our country, to a European statesman, to a pugnacious democrat, to a formative personality in the recent history of our country," Merz said..

Schäuble was one of the architects of German Reunification and pressed for austerity measures during the eurozone crisis.

Macron praised Schäuble's commitment to improving Franco-German friendship and the unification of Europe.

lo/jcg (dpa, epd, KNA)

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