[autom.vertaling] Duitsland verdedigt Frankrijk over begrotingstekort (en)

France and Germany will act together in the next meeting of EU finance ministers which will decide on measures to take against Paris for its high budget deficit, Gerhard Schröder and Jean-Pierre Raffarin said on Tuesday 28 October in Poitiers, France.

The two leaders were speaking at a summit of French regions and German Länder but they inevitably touched upon the subject of budget deficits which affects them both.

However, the German Chancellor does not believe that France is in danger of being fined. The council of finance ministers, known as Ecofin, will decide France's fate on 4 November.

Gerhard Schröder explained to the French press that both France and Germany have promised a boost of economic growth, so the EU must take this into account.

"A controversial vote will not be justified in the light of the problems we are facing", he added.

French daily Le Monde says that countries like the Netherlands, Austria and Finland will however ask for sanctions against France, but this will require a qualified majority of votes.