While acknowledging many European leaders have pushed tirelessly for a united global front, the Commission chief’s unique rapport with Trump was a gamechanger, according to the EU executive.

“We saw yesterday the meeting between Presidents von der Leyen and Trump, which we consider to be extremely positive,” Gill said. “It’s really important to emphasize that we welcome that the engagement with the U.S. is now so strong and meaningful as regards coordinated efforts to try to end Russia’s aggression.”

Trump declared late Tuesday on his Truth Social platform: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”

The personal relationship between von der Leyen and Trump has deepened notably since their July summit in Scotland, where they hammered out a lopsided trade deal.

As reported in Wednesday’s Brussels Playbook, the pair are now in regular phone contact, according to an EU official, with recent conversations focused on the latest round of sanctions targeting Russia — including measures with a China dimension, which caught Trump’s interest.

Details of the New York talks remain under wraps. “We raised our priorities and concerns,” Gill told reporters when pressed.

The EU’s position on Ukraine remains a clear call for an end to the war, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and a demand that Russia cease its aggression immediately.

Sophie Binet, head of the CGT, France’s largest union by membership, told reporters that Lecornu had presented himself during the meeting as the “most fragile” prime minister in the history of modern France, which traditionally produced stable executives.

“This confirms that we’re in a position of strength,” she said.

Lecornu has faced two days of nationwide protests since taking the reins of government earlier this month from François Bayrou, who was toppled in a no-confidence vote over his plans to shave the 2026 budget by nearly €44 billion.

Both Bayrou and Lecornu have warned that France needs to rein in public spending to address its eye-watering budget deficit, set to come in at 5.4 percent of gross domestic product this year, and €3.3 trillion of public debt — concerns that prompted ratings agency Fitch to downgrade France’s credit rating on Sept. 13.

France’s main unions, which usually diverge in ideology and tactics, have closed ranks since the summer, united in outrage over Bayrou’s plans. Lecornu has distanced himself from some of Bayrou’s proposals, including slashing two public holidays.

The unions remained united and their stance is a critical element in the political calculus of the Socialists, whose support Lecornu’s government needs.

“There is no time to lose: Our country has to feel now that things are getting better,” Merz said.

For businesses, though, this appears to be taking too long. Ifo’s survey suggested that not only were companies less happy with their current business, but that expectations had also darkened noticeably.

“The surprisingly sharp decline … dampens hopes for a rapid economic recovery,” Deutsche Bank economist Robin Winkler said in a note to clients.

The news follows on the heels of another survey from Tuesday: S&P Global’s Purchasing Manager Index. This showed Germany’s private sector expanding at the fastest pace in more than a year — but cast doubt over the sustainability of this recovery, as new orders dropped in both services and manufacturing.

A representative survey commissioned by POLITICO’s sister publication, the German tabloid Bild (also owned by Axel Springer), showed Wednesday that not only businesses are increasingly pessimistic about the country’s economic prospects.

Confidence in the Christian Democrats and Socialists’ ability to return the German economy to growth continues to fall. While 43 percent believed this was the case in May, by mid-September that number had fallen to just 28 percent.