PARIS, Apr 03 (AFP): France's newly reshuffled government took a combative tone with Brussels Thursday, with new Finance Minister Michel Sapin saying the "pace" of deficit reduction would be raised in talks with the EU.
In his first public comments since being named on Wednesday, Sapin said he would work with the European Commission to "find the path to common interests" as the EU pushes France to reduce its deficit.
"Europe will be in better shape when France is in better shape," Sapin said.
"We must together share the only important concern: more growth for more jobs, while gradually rebalancing our public finances."
His remarks were in contrast to a warning by the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers on Tuesday that France must respect its promises to meet an already delayed EU deadline for budget limits.
Sapin said that France would not abandon efforts to reduce the deficit but provided no timeline.
"The goals are goals that we will meet," he said several times.
France has promised to reduce its public deficit from 4.3 percent of national output last year to 3.0 percent next year under the EU's Stability Pact.
But with the economy stagnant and joblessness rising, President Francois Hollande's government is struggling to impose the spending cuts or tax increases needed to rein in the deficit, although it now says it wants to cut some taxes.
The government is deeply unpopular and reeling from a dismal showing in local elections on Sunday that prompted the reshuffle under new Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
France angles for new EU timetable on budget limits
FE Team | Published: April 04, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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