France sets up clash with Germany and Brussels over budget

FrenchFrench President François Hollande on Wednesday urged the European Union to ease its rules on budget discipline to protect flagging growth in the troubled eurozone, reports GlobalPost.

"We have to adjust budgetary policy in relation to the challenge of growth," Hollande said on his arrival for a brief informal summit with other EU leaders.

The French leader said the issue would be discussed at a full European Council later this month, setting the scene for a head-on clash with German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Merkel has made it clear she will not countenance any easing of the requirement for EU governments to bring budget deficits under three percent of GDP and to keep them there.

Read more of this AFP report published by GlobalPost.