Everyday, the gap between the two largest economies in the EU is growing. But now it’s time for war!
In stead of wanting to learn something of their neighbours’ success, the French prefer to teach the old frenemy some lessons. When it comes to the different views on how to relaunch the economy, François Hollande talks about ‘a friendly tension’ with Germany, while the National Assembly’s president Claude Bartolone uses the word ‘confrontation’. The French Socialists (PS), Hollande’s party, now want to go a little bit further: they call for a ‘democratic battle’ with Germany.
Daily Newspaper Le Monde reveals a document that will be presented today at the Socialists’ headquarters in Paris. It’s a text to prepare the convention on Europe organised by the PS next June. This project, coordinated by Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, Paris deputy and vice-president of the Party of European Socialists (PES) – and tacitly endorsed by the government – can still be amended before its presentation. According to the text, the current bad state of the European economy, is the result of liberal monsters as free-trade and austerity.
Save the savings
The French Socialists criticise ‘the selfish intransigence’ of the Chanchellor Merkel, ‘who thinks of nothing else but the savings of depositors in Germany, the trade balance and her electoral future.’
They also write that today ‘France has the only truly European government in the European Union’. Although anyone who knows a little bit about France’s European politics (like your correspondent for example) might consider that phrase a joke…
Complete text here (in French)
