Analysis Macron and Merkel, a new power couple, are being watched warily by US and European partners alike

Back in January, when his chances of winning the French presidency were considered slim, Emmanuel Macron came to Berlin and spelled out what he felt was needed to fix Europe.

“As Jacques Delors said, for Europe we need a vision and a screwdriver,” Macron told an audience at the Humboldt University, citing the former president of the European Commission. “Unfortunately, we currently have a lot of screwdrivers but we are still lacking a vision.”

Now, less than two months after surging to victory in the French election, Macron is filling the void, articulating a path forward for the continent, and crucially, bringing Germany along with him.

That was the main take-away from a meeting of European Union leaders last week in which Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel stood side by side at an end-of-summit news conference and sent a message of total unity.

After more than a decade of sputtering and stalling, it may be premature to declare that the Franco-German engine is revving on all cylinders again.

Macron still faces the daunting challenge of delivering on his plans to reform the French economy. Only if he is successful will he end the mutual distrust between Paris and Berlin that has prevented close co-operation in past years.