French president Emmanuel Macron claimed that the powerful German economy thrived from the “weakness” and dysfunction of others in the euro zone, Reuters reported.

Mr Macron said: “I have never reproached Germany for being competitive. But a part of German competitiveness is due to the dysfunctionalities of the euro zone, and the weakness of other economies.

“Germany… has a strong economy, but it has demographic weaknesses, economic and trade imbalances with its neighbours and shared responsibilities to give the euro area the future it deserves.”