French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici insisted Tuesday that Paris remains committed to getting its finances in order, but said it would not do so at the expense of economic growth, reports GlobalPost.
"Of course, we must ensure that public finances recover," Moscovici said in a Berlin panel discussion with his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble.
"But we need to carry out this exercise carefully, taking into account national circumstances, and finding the right rhythm to preserve growth prospects."
Speaking afterwards at a joint press conference with Schaeuble, the French minister said "we don't want to overshoot, we don't want austerity plans which go beyond what's necessary."
Friction has arisen between the eurozone's two economic powerhouses recently as Berlin stresses the need for belt-tightening to make growth sustainable while Paris believes increased public spending can kick-start struggling eurozone economies.
But Schaeuble insisted that portraying the matter as a clear-cut choice between austerity on the one hand and growth on the other was "a misunderstanding."
Read more of this AFP report published by GlobalPost.