Friedrich Merz travels to Paris and Warsaw on Wednesday on his first foreign trip as German chancellor, still reeling from a humiliating setback in Tuesday’s government transition that raised early questions about his leadership.

Traditionally, newly elected German chancellors make a point of visiting their big neighbors in the west and east on the first day in office to stress European unity. The stops in Paris and Warsaw are happening on the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender in World War II.

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a reset in French-German relations to help Europe overcome the "enormous" security and economic challenges it faced during his first trip abroad since taking office to top ally France on Wednesday.