President Emmanuel Macron of France has urged Germany’s leaders to “live up to their responsibilities” in Europe amid foot-dragging from Angela Merkel over his ambitious reform plans for the bloc.

The French leader issued the plea hours before receiving the Charlemagne Prize for his "contagious enthusiasm" for strengthening EU cohesion and integration.

Mrs Merkel praised Mr Macron in a speech at the highly-symbolic prize-giving ceremony in Aachen, residence of Charlemagne, often dubbed “the father of Europe” for having united much of western Europe in the ninth century.

“With Emmanuel Macron, a dynamic young politician has entered the European stage, for whom European integration and the common currency are a clear course.”

Yet hamstrung by six months of negotiations over forming a new coalition government, Mrs Merkel has show little enthusiasm for the French president’s call for a common finance minister or budget.

Mr Macron countered claims that Germany was the main stumbling block to further European integration, saying: "Certain people say Germany is selfish and doesn't want to reform Europe, I say this is false."