Key facts
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has canceled his participation in a space summit in Paris.
- Merz's spokesperson cited a busy schedule as the reason for the cancellation.
- The German leader's absence follows a significant electoral defeat for his party in Saxony-Anhalt.
- Several top U.S. space companies, including SpaceX, had already withdrawn from the summit.
- German Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär and her French counterpart will co-chair the event.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is slated to deliver a major speech.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not attend a space summit in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and Thursday. A spokesperson for Merz stated on Monday that the cancellation was due to his busy schedule this week. This decision comes just hours after Merz's party experienced a significant defeat in the Saxony-Anhalt state election against the far-right Alternative for Germany.
Merz's agenda includes meetings with European Council President António Costa and a speech at the Bundestag on Wednesday. On Thursday, he is scheduled to meet with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and German diplomats. The German leader's absence marks another setback for the summit, which has faced criticism for being directionless and poorly organized. Previously, major U.S. space companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, withdrew from the event following pressure from the White House.
Despite Merz's absence, a German diplomat confirmed that Berlin will still co-chair the event. German Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär and her French counterpart, Philippe Baptiste, are set to open the summit. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to deliver a significant speech.