France, Feb. 6 -- On his first trip abroad as Prime Minister, France's Gabriel Attal called for a reboot of Franco-German relations, saying the two countries needed to rise above their disagreements and prevent the swing towards populism and extremism.

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"The Franco-German friendship is one of the great opportunities in our history," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a joint press conference after meeting France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal in Berlin on Monday evening.

"Faced with uncertainties linked to wars, inflation, global warming, the two countries will need to work closely together to prevent momentum for far-right populist movements," Scholz added.

A "sharp right turn" is likely to sweep European Union elections this year, ...