Merkel Says Fiscal Pact Is Not Up for Renegotiation
The European Union’s fiscal pact is not up for renegotiation, German Chancellor Angela said Monday, but France’s newly-elected Socialist president, Francois Hollande, would be met with ‘open arms’.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she would welcome French president-elect Francois Hollande “with open arms” when he visits Berlin after his inauguration next week.
She said they agreed during a phone call on Sunday to work “well and intensively” together, adding: “Franco-German cooperation is essential for Europe and we all want Europe to succeed.”
Merkel said Hollande would visit the German capital shortly after his inauguration as president, expected to take place on May 15, without giving a date for the much-awaited meeting.
The German chancellor irked Hollande by openly campaigning for his rival Nicolas Sarkozy, who comes from the same conservative political family as Merkel.