BERLIN : French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (L) is welcomed by President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) Ulrich Grillo (2dL) upon arrival with French Minister of the Economy, Industry and the Digital Sector Emmanuel Macron (R) at the BDI\'s a BERLIN, Sept 23 (AFP) : German industry's chief lobbyist warned France Tuesday that Berlin did not bear the blame for its neighbour's economic woes and could not be expected to solve them.
In blunt remarks reflecting tensions between the two countries, the head of the Federation of German Industry (BDI), Ulrich Grillo, told a conference in Berlin attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls that Paris needed to face up to its own problems.
"With all due respect for its domestic political situation, Germany is not to blame for France's problems. Germany is not responsible for solving these problems," Grillo said.
Grillo welcomed as "very positive" steps a package of economic reforms announced by Valls.
"Now the right words need to be followed by the right actions," said Grillo.
France has repeatedly called for more state investment from Germany, Europe's largest economy, to help boost economic growth.
Berlin, meanwhile, has pushed for painful structural reforms in response to the eurozone debt crisis, in a strategy that has opened a wide political cleft between the two countries traditionally seen as the motor of European integration.
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