Macron thanks Merkel as she steps down

"Thank you, dear Angela, for never having forgotten the lessons of history, for having done so much for us, with us, to move Europe forward," Macron wrote in a tweet with a link to the video.

It showed footage of the two leaders' laughing, embracing and working together at international summits.

Parts of Macron's speech to Merkel during her farewell visit to Beaune just more than a month ago were included the video. He is seen telling the veteran stateswoman that she taught him a lot and accepted him as a young, tempestuous president.

Australian Associated Press