PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday told new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the two countries would together write the next chapter in European history as he paid tribute to Angela Merkel as she bowed out after 16 years in power.

"We will write the next chapter together. For the French, for the Germans, for the Europeans," Macron told Scholz in a tweet welcoming his election by the German lower house of parliament. He also thanked Merkel for "never forgetting the lessons of history, for doing so much for us, with us, to move Europe forwards".