Merkel and Hollande join forces
NEW socialist French President Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel attempted to put their political differences aside last night – yet areas of conflict over the Eurozone crisis remained evident.
The unlikely couple said they are united in efforts to save the single currency area, with Merkel joining Hollande’s repeated call for a growth-based solution.
“Like Mrs. Merkel, I want Greece to remain in the Eurozone,” Hollande said, speaking after their first meeting since he was elected.
Merkel added: “Growth has to feed through to the people. And that’s why I’m happy that we’ll discuss different ideas on how to achieve growth.”
Disagreements over policy were revealed when the French President named eurobonds as a possible extra measure to assist crisis-stricken members such as Greece. “I hope that we can say to the Greeks that Europe is ready to add measures to help growth and support economic activity so that there is a return to growth in Greece at a time when it is in recession,” he said.
“I said it during my election campaign and I say it again now as President that I want to renegotiate what has been agreed to include a growth dimension,” Hollande told a joint news conference with Merkel at her chancellery in Berlin.
Hollande yesterday named his long-term ally Jean-Marc Ayrault as prime minister.
He also wants to see the fiscal compact renegotiated, and in a sign that Hollande seeks to work closely with Merkel, has already met key advisers to the Chancellor.
“The treaty is incomplete – each side needs to take a step toward the other,” Ayrault said recently. “We need to find a consensus.”