Germany’s close cooperation with France on behalf of European integration continued after the election of Emmanuel Macron as French president in 2017. This picture shows Merkel and Macron at an event in Brussels which celebrated the creation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) mechanism and the European Defense Fund (EDF). PESCO was created to further enhance military cooperation among EU member states while the EDF aims to promote joint military research and development in the EU. Both programs are part of the European Common Security and Defense Policy.