Chirac, Schroeder agree EU spending should be capped
French President Jacques Chirac said he and Germany’s Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed at a meeting today there should be no “excessive” increase in the European Union’s budget.
Chirac, speaking after the meeting, also called for pragmatism from British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the question of Britain’s rebate, saying “our British friends should take stock of changes” regarding the contentious issue.
Chirac noted Europe was facing a “difficult period” in the wake of referendums in France and the Netherlands in which voters rejected the European Union’s blueprint for bringing the 25-nation bloc closer.
With the EU in the midst of tough budget negotiations, Chirac said he and Schroeder agreed that everything should be done to avoid adding financial difficulties to the bloc’s political ones.
The French leader said the EU needs above all to “come together and reflect” on the road ahead.
