Merkel, Macron agree on need for EU reforms

July 13 (UPI) -- Speaking at a joint news conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is open to French President Emmanuel Macron's calls to create a Eurozone finance minister and a European Union budget, two reforms the new French leader campaigned to create.

The announcement came after joint cabinet meetings between French and German ministers in Paris on Thursday.

Macron campaigned on promises to overhaul the EU and create tighter bonds between the member countries on the issues of finance, immigration and defense.

The proposed financial changes would have been a nonstarter without the support of Germany, the EU's largest member-state and financial contributor.

In addition to the suggested financial changes, France and Germany announced they would enter into a joint partnership to develop a new generation of fighter jets, a deal Macron called a "revolution" in Europe's mutual defense relationship.