# France and Germany hold joint ministerial retreat at Brühl to mend defense ties after FCAS collapse
> French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met at the Franco-German Council of Ministers retreat near Cologne on July 16-17 to discuss nuclear deterrence sharing, missile defense, long-range strike capabilities, space and Ukraine support, weeks after industrial rivalry forced Paris and Berlin to scrap the landmark Future Combat Air System fighter jet program

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-16 · heads: The Long Game, Who Decides · 5 takes · 4 lenses · 4 regions

## Summary

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened the Franco-German Council of Ministers (CMFA) at Brühl, near Cologne, on July 16-17 to discuss nuclear deterrence cooperation, missile defense, long-range strike capabilities and space programs, as well as bilateral economic and energy policy and support for [Ukraine](/en/n/ukraine-russia-war-dossier). The summit came weeks after France and Germany scrapped the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet program following industrial rivalry over workshare and technology transfer, leaving the EU's two largest defence spenders without a flagship joint air-combat project. The United States is simultaneously pressing European NATO members to carry a greater share of collective defence costs.

## The split

Defense industry analysts focused on the FCAS collapse as the summit's central challenge, with Paris and Berlin needing new institutional anchors for defense cooperation. The French Elysée framed the meeting in integrationist terms, presenting a united EU defense front, while German coverage stressed the practicalities of aligning procurement timelines and differing industry interests.

## By the numbers

- 2, years since FCAS was agreed and then collapsed over French-German industrial rivalry
- 5, agenda pillars: nuclear deterrence, missile defense, long-range strike, space, Ukraine support
- 2%, NATO defense spending target that both France and Germany now exceed

## Why it matters

CMFA is the primary institutional forum for Franco-German coordination, and the items on the table, particularly nuclear deterrence sharing and long-range strike, will shape European [Defence Industry](/en/entity/defence-industry) procurement for years. Without the FCAS anchor, France and Germany must negotiate cooperation deal by deal, increasing the risk of competitive duplication.

## What to watch

- Whether the CMFA produces a joint communiqué on nuclear deterrence cooperation
- Any replacement program or co-investment structure announced for air-combat capability
- Impact on the EU's broader defence budget discussions at the next European Council

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### US defense trade publication; framed the summit as a damage-control exercise after the FCAS collapse, noting Paris and Berlin are seeking common ground on nuclear deterrence and long-range strike despite active arms-industrial competition
- **Defense News** (United States, en) — Defense News led with the FCAS cancellation as the summit backdrop, reporting that France and Germany must now negotiate new cooperation on nuclear deterrence sharing, missile defense and space programs with fewer industrial anchors, and that the US is separately pressing Europe to rearm faster.
  > "The meetings come weeks after industrial rivalries forced Paris and Berlin to scrap the landmark Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet program."
  Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2026/07/16/franco-german-defense-cooperation-under-strain-as-macron-merz-meet/

### Saudi-linked pan-Arabic English daily; covered the Elysée communiqué language on EU defense integration and the agenda items of nuclear deterrence, missile defense and space, as well as Ukrainian support commitments
- **Arab News** (Saudi Arabia, en) — Arab News cited the Elysée's framing of the summit as a demonstration that the EU's two largest defence spenders can still align, reporting agenda items including nuclear deterrence, long-range strike, space and bilateral economic and energy policy.
  > "France and Germany will discuss deepening cooperation on nuclear deterrence, missile defense, long-range strike capabilities and space at a joint ministerial retreat."
  Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2651178/world

### Turkish news agency; noted the bilateral relations, economic and energy policy dimensions alongside security, reflecting Ankara's interest in the Franco-German axis as European NATO's largest powers negotiate burden-sharing
- **A Haber / A News (Türkiye)** (Türkiye, en) — A News Turkey summarized the summit agenda as covering bilateral relations, economic and energy policies, and security cooperation including Ukraine support, situating the meeting as a key moment ahead of the intergovernmental consultation process.
  > "Chancellor Merz and President Macron met to discuss bilateral relations, economic and energy policies, and crucial security and defense cooperation, including support for Ukraine."
  Source: https://www.anews.com.tr/world/2026/07/16/german-french-leaders-meet-on-security-defense-cooperation

### unlabelled
- **OAF Nation** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://oafnation.com/blogs/news/franco-german-defense-cooperation-under-strain-as-macron-merz-meet
- **France News Pravda** (Russia, fr) — 
  Source: https://france.news-pravda.com/en/france/2026/07/16/105778.html

## Across the graph
- Entities: France, Germany

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