| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Debt crisis: tensions mount as Angela Merkel attacks French economy |
| 2012-06-16 |
| Deepening splits between Angela Merkel and François Hollande erupted into the open on Friday as the German chancellor attacked Paris for allowing the French economy to stall. Mrs Merkel warned the policies of the new Socialist president could destroy the eurozone by bringing the sovereign debt crisis to France itself. The bleak assessment came on the eve of an important weekend that will see elections in Greece and France and a key G20 meeting of world leaders in Mexico. "Europe must discuss the growing differences in economic strength between France and Germany," she said. Tensions are running so high that Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French prime minister, was forced to deny that Paris had broken off the Franco-German partnership, following Berlin anger at a Franco-Italian summit in Rome on Thursday. There was a growing sense of crisis in European capitals after David Cameron, the Prime Minister, took part in a tense conference call with Mrs Merkel, Mr Hollande and Mario Monti, the Italian prime minister. G20 leaders meet in Los Cabos on Monday afternoon for talks dominated by the deepening eurozone crisis and the result of close elections that could put Greece on course to leave the EU's single currency. Eurozone finance ministers are on standby for an emergency telephone conference on Sunday night, if Greek exit polls put the radical Left Syriza coalition in the lead, to trigger contingency plans, including possible capital controls in the event of a run on banks in Greece, Portugal or Spain |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #4 Electing the socialists in France is probably the most idiotic move in history. I really do not understand how the French people could possibly have been so stupid. Europe's problems are BECAUSE of socialist policies, more of them are not going to solve the problem. How the heck did this guy get elected? I mean, the French must have at least HALF a brain. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2012-06-16 18:15 |
| #3 I wonder how well an "EU" comprised of the following countries would do: Germany, Poland, Austria, The Czec Republic, Denmark, the Baltic States, Finland, and Norway? Possibly Slovenia and Croatia as well. No Romania, Slovakia, or any other economic third stringers or hanger ons, either. Just economically productive countries whose populations have an established work ethic. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2012-06-16 14:05 |
| #2 Sounds like post-French and Greek elections against austerity, the Germans may have decided: "screw it" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2012-06-16 09:48 |
| #1 The Germans are very irritated that France lowered its retirement age to 60, while they retire at 67. They don't want to bail them out. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2012-06-16 01:38 |