PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened on Friday to obstruct a Franco-German drive for swift change to the European Union’s treaty, a sign of the difficulty leaders will face transforming Europe to to save the euro.

France and Germany are reaching a consensus that euro zone economies need to be bound more closely together if the single currency is to survive, which could mean changing the EU treaty to give Brussels powers to punish spendthrift euro states.

PARIS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is staking his re-election on persuading voters he can nurse the economy back to health, has torn into France’s bloated welfare state as he lay foundations for a 2012 campaign based on restoring competitiveness.

In a speech to the nation late on Thursday that analysts saw as paving the way for his candidacy next year, Sarkozy blamed an outdated social model and the limitations of the 35-hour work week introduced by the left for holding France back.

BERLIN/PARIS, Dec 2 (Reuters) – German Chancellor
Angela Merkel vowed on Friday to defend the euro, which she said
was stronger than Germany’s former deutschemark, but she warned
that Europeans faced a long, hard “marathon” to restore lost
credibility.

“Resolving the sovereign debt crisis is a process and this
process will take years,” Merkel said in an address to
parliament.

PARIS (Reuters) – Squeezed between a ballooning debt crisis and an April election, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is taking a big gamble by acquiescing to Germany’s push to hand more budgetary control to Brussels.

Sarkozy will try to warm a disgruntled electorate to the idea when he addresses the nation on Thursday from Toulon – the Mediterranean port where he railed in a speech against “mad” capitalism as the 2008 financial crisis exploded.

PARIS (Reuters) – Squeezed ever tighter between a ballooning debt crisis and an April election that could knock him from power, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is taking a big gamble by acquiescing to Germany’s push to hand more budgetary control to Brussels.

Sarkozy will endeavor to warm a disgruntled electorate to the idea when he addresses the nation on Thursday from Toulon — the Mediterranean port where he railed against “mad” capitalism in a key speech as the 2008 financial crisis exploded.

PARIS (Reuters) – Efforts to coax China into throwing the euro zone a lifeline will dominate this week’s G20 Summit and leave Beijing holding the cards as world leaders try to restore market confidence with pledges to reduce economic imbalances.

Heads of state and finance chiefs from the 20 leading economies want to use the November 3-4 meeting in Cannes, France, to send a message that Europe has its debt crisis under control and any risks to the world economy are being taken care of.

PARIS, Oct 27 (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy told
French households on Thursday they will have to weather a
further 6-8 billion euros in budget cuts to compensate for
faltering economic growth that the government now sees at 1
percent next year.

In a TV interview aimed at preparing already disgruntled
voters for fresh belt-tightening measures six months before
elections and explaining the causes of the economic turmoil
hitting the country, Sarkozy said France’s sole focus must be to
bring down its debt and deficit.

PARIS (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy will try to justify further belt-tightening measures to an already disgruntled electorate and explain the causes of the economic turmoil hitting France in a rare TV interview on Thursday.

Sarkozy, who is trailing Socialist rival Francois Hollande in opinion polls six months before a presidential election, will discuss the euro zone crisis plan agreed in Brussels and warn that French growth is set to fall short of targets next year, making adjustments necessary to the 2012 budget.

PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy is in one of the most critical weeks of his presidency as he battles to mend his differences with Germany over a euro zone crisis that threatens both France’s economic wellbeing and his own political future.

A spike in French bond spreads over German Bunds mirrors the rising pressure Sarkozy is under as the relentless advance of the euro area’s debt crisis throws France’s top-tier position in the bloc alongside Germany into question.

PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy is in one of the most critical weeks of his presidency as he battles to mend his differences with Germany over a euro zone crisis that threatens both France’s economic wellbeing and his own political future.

A spike in French bond spreads over German Bunds mirrors the rising pressure Sarkozy is under as the relentless advance of the euro area’s debt crisis throws France’s top-tier position in the bloc alongside Germany into question.