European Leaders Prepare for Economic Meetings
Leaders from France, Italy, Great Britain and Germany are planning to meet on Saturday in preparation for a European finance summit to be held in Washington next week. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who shot down reports on Thursday that France was proposing a hefty European bailout package, invited the other three heads of state to the pre-summit huddle in Paris.
Leaders from France, Italy, Great Britain and Germany are planning to meet on Saturday in preparation for a European finance summit to be held in Washington next week. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who shot down reports on Thursday that France was proposing a hefty European bailout package, invited the other three heads of state — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — to the pre-summit huddle in Paris.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...AFP:
Sarkozy himself insisted to reporters that France had not suggested creating a 300-billion-euro (417-billion-dollar) fund,and the finance ministry insisted that both the figure and the idea had come from the Netherlands.
“There was an exchange of ideas but no French proposals. There was no French plan. There is no French fund,” said an official in Finance Minister Christine Lagarde’s office, denying these “groundless accusations”.
On a visit to Paris, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende denied that his government was proposing a single Europe-wide bail-out fund, saying that there had been a “misunderstanding” on the issue.
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
Intelligence expert William Binney discusses the revelation that a widely used encryption service has been in government hands for decades.
The 70-year-old alliance has been fraying since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Donald Trump's presidency may finish it off altogether.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders place flowers on the remains of the wall that divided the German capital for 28 years.
Members of the Extinction Rebellion movement demonstrate for more urgent action against climate change.
After teen climate activist Greta Thunberg shames them for their inaction, leaders claim they will do more but concede it's not enough.
Fissures emerge among world leaders over how to deal with Iran as the country's foreign minister arrives as a guest of the French president.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.