Everyday, the gap between the two largest economies in the EU is growing. But now it’s time for war!<\/p>\n
In stead of wanting to learn something of their neighbours’ success, the French prefer to teach the old frenemy<\/em> some lessons. When it comes to the different views on how to relaunch the economy, Fran\u00e7ois Hollande talks about \u2018a friendly tension\u2019 with Germany, while the National Assembly\u2019s president Claude Bartolone uses the word \u2018confrontation\u2019. The French Socialists (PS)<\/a>, Hollande’s party, now want to go a little bit further: they call for a \u2018democratic battle\u2019 with Germany.<\/p>\n Daily Newspaper Le Monde<\/a> reveals a document that will be presented today at the Socialists\u2019 headquarters in Paris. It\u2019s a text to prepare the convention on Europe organised by the PS next June. This project, coordinated by Jean-Christophe Cambad\u00e9lis, Paris deputy and vice-president of the Party of European Socialists (PES)<\/a> – 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.<\/p>\n The French Socialists criticise \u2018the selfish intransigence\u2019<\/em> of the Chanchellor Merkel, \u2018who thinks of nothing else but the savings of depositors in Germany, the trade balance and her electoral future.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n They also write that today ‘France has the only truly European government in the European Union\u2019<\/em>. Although anyone who knows a little bit about France\u2019s European politics (like your correspondent for example) might consider that phrase a joke\u2026<\/p>\nSave the savings<\/h4>\n