Paris and Berlin unite on fiscal discipline

In a letter to European Council President Herman van Rompuy, July 2010, France and Germany have presented proposals for improving Europe's economic governance. The two countries have called for tougher sanctions to be imposed on EU countries that fail to abide by the bloc's budget deficit rules.

In a first for Franco-German relations, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble had joined French ministers for their weekly cabinet meeting on the 21 July 2010.

ESO: Background information: France and Germany seek to mend rift http://www.europeansources.info/record/france-and-germany-seek-to-mend-rift/

Deutsche Welle, 21.7.10: Germany and France join forces to punish EU budget deficit offenders http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5824185,00.html

Le Figaro, 22.7.10: Paris and Berlin sing from same tax sheet http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/299351-paris-and-berlin-sing-same-tax-sheet

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