Second day of the state visit: Macron arrives in Saxony

On the second day of his state visit to Germany, French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Saxony. Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) welcomed him and his wife Brigitte at Moritzburg Castle near Dresden early on Monday afternoon. Also present were German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender as well as the wife of the Saxon head of government, Annett Hofmann. Macron's arrival was delayed by around an hour. Numerous onlookers had gathered around the palace.

In the Saxon state capital, the French president plans to visit the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, where an expert discussion on artificial intelligence and the European microchip industry is planned. In the early evening, Macron will give a speech on European policy in front of Dresden's Frauenkirche church. Thousands of young people from Saxony, Poland, the Czech Republic and France are expected to attend.

Macron and his wife Brigitte began their almost three-day state visit in Berlin on Sunday. "Franco-German relations are indispensable and important for Europe," emphasized the French President at the start of the visit. The last item on the agenda in Berlin on Monday morning was a wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It is the first state visit by a French president to Germany in 24 years.