BERLIN/PARIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Britain’s European partners
told David Cameron on Wednesday his demand for radical reform of
the EU and an “in-out” referendum on UK membership showed a
selfish and ignorant attitude.

France went so far as to call Britain’s bluff and say it was
free to leave. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he had told
a recent meeting with British businessmen: “If Britain wants to
leave Europe we will roll out the red carpet for you.”

BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) – Germany and France will put on a show of total unity this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty that cemented their post-war reconciliation.

But beneath the public display of friendship, the Franco-German motor that has long driven Europe is sputtering and unlikely to offer new policy breakthroughs this year to help speed the euro zone fully out of its crisis.

PARIS (Reuters) – In five days, France’s mercy dash to Mali to stop al Qaeda-linked Islamists seizing the capital has bounced it into a promise to keep troops there until its West African former colony is finally back on its feet.

Exactly how long that will take is hard to say. But Africa’s latest war is likely to entail a long stay for France with an exit strategy that will depend largely on allies who have yet to prove they are ready for the fight.

PARIS (Reuters) – In five days, France’s mercy dash to Mali to stop al Qaeda-linked Islamists seizing the capital has bounced it into a promise to keep troops there until its West African former colony is finally back on its feet.

Exactly how long that will take is hard to say. But Africa’s latest war is likely to entail a long stay for France with an exit strategy that will depend largely on allies who have yet to prove they are ready for the fight.

PARIS (Reuters) – Just as its leaders were defining a new “hands-off” strategy for Africa, France has been thrust onto the front line of one of the continent’s riskiest battlefields deep in the desert of Mali.

President Francois Hollande’s backing of air strikes to halt Islamist rebels advancing on the capital Bamako raises the threat level for eight French hostages held by al Qaeda allies in the Sahara and for the 30,000 French expatriates living in neighbouring, mostly Muslim states.

PARIS (Reuters) – Just as its leaders were defining a new “hands-off” strategy for Africa, France has been thrust onto the front line of one of the continent’s riskiest battlefields deep in the desert of Mali.

President Francois Hollande’s backing of air strikes to halt Islamist rebels advancing on the capital Bamako raises the threat level for eight French hostages held by al Qaeda allies in the Sahara and for the 30,000 French expatriates living in neighboring, mostly Muslim states.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande called on Friday for like-minded EU countries to push ahead with further, deeper integration, even if it means leaving behind more Eurosceptic states which insist on protecting sovereignty.

Speaking after a two-day summit on the debt crisis where the 17 states that share the euro agreed on arrangements for a single supervisory system for their banks, Hollande indicated that a two-speed European Union was all but inevitable.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European leaders agreed on Friday to press on with further steps to tackle their debt crisis but German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw out a proposal to boost risk-sharing with a fund to help euro zone states in trouble.

Germany’s rejection of an idea strongly backed by France showed the potential for more tensions over crisis management, a day after the bloc clinched a deal on eurozone-wide banking supervision and approved long-delayed aid to Greece.

BRUSSELS, Dec 14 (Reuters) – European leaders agreed on
Friday to press on with further steps to tackle their debt
crisis but German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw out a proposal
to boost risk-sharing with a fund to help euro zone states in
trouble.

Germany’s rejection of an idea strongly backed by France
showed the potential for more tensions over crisis management, a
day after the bloc clinched a deal on eurozone-wide banking
supervision and approved long-delayed aid to Greece.

ECUEILLE, France (Reuters) – Shirt manufacturer Marc Roudeillac was delighted when 48 of the 49 staff in his factory in central France voted to adapt their strict 35-hour week contracts to meet the up-and-down demand of the fashion trade.

Then the labor inspector stepped in and ruled the contracts must not be changed. So Roudeillac began an overtime system with 25 percent hourly bonuses. Again, the seamstresses were happy – until the government this year scrapped tax breaks on overtime.