[New] While Macron and von der Leyen's like-mindedness on China may be a good omen, in practice however, the future of EU-China policy will above all depend on Germany.
chinaobservers
[New] French President Emmanuel Macron said he was expecting record foreign investment amounting to €93 billion at an international conference on Monday, including for artificial intelligence and data centers.
Euronews
SoftBank Group announced at the 2026 Choose France summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron that it will invest €75 billion ($87.5 billion) to develop and operate 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in France.
Build Fast with AI
President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that he was expecting foreign investments amounting to 93 billion euros ($108 billion) at a conference dubbed Choose France, including on artificial intelligence and data centers.
France's defence budget has already increased sharply since Macron took power, rising from 32.2 billion euros ($37.6 billion at current rates) in 2017 to 50.5 billion currently, and is projected to reach 67 billion euros in 2030.
Macron framed it explicitly: Africa will no longer be seen as a source of rare earth elements and other resources, but rather as a partner.
The Rio Times
For Macron, regaining prior influence within Europe will require effective navigation of the current political malaise, whereas Scholz must mend internal fractures to reinforce Germany's position on the Eurozone stage.
The Pinnacle Gazette
Last updated: 21 June 2026
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