http://www.france24.com/en/20120304-european-leaders-are-ganging-hollande-report-says
http://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article13901821/Ein-direkt-gewaehlter-Praesident-fuer-Europa.html
A cabal of conservative European leaders is deliberately shunning French Socialist presidential candidate François Hollande, according to a report due to be published Monday in German weekly Der Spiegel.
The magazine says that German Chancellor Angela Merkel (who has openly supported incumbent French President Nicolas Sarkozy), Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, British Prime Minister David Cameron and their Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy have made an agreement not to meet Hollande in the run-up to May’s presidential election.
The German government was swift to deny Der Spiegel’s allegations on Sunday. But in an interview published the same day by German daily Die Welt, the country’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called for an end to his country’s meddling in the French political process.
Urging German politicians to “show restraint,” he said that “there should be no doubt that Germany will work well with any government chosen by the French people.”
Hollande ‘less than impressed’
Hollande, who is leading Sarkozy in the polls, told France 3 television on Sunday that he was “less than impressed” by the Spiegel report, should it turn out to be true.
“It is up to the French people to decide their future,” he said. “Leaders of other European countries, for whom I have great respect, have no business weighing in on an election that is for the people of France to decide.”
According to Der Spiegel, the conservative European leaders are shunning Hollande because of his plans to renegotiate the treaty on tighter budget discipline for the euro zone, which was worked out to save the fragile monetary bloc from future debt crises.
Even the UK’s David Cameron – whose country did not sign the treaty – is accused of deliberately avoiding contact with Hollande.
Cameron pointedly refused to meet the Socialist presidential hopeful while he was visiting London last week to woo the British capital’s substantial French population.
Downing Street said it was “protocol” not to meet candidates during the election period.
However, the British prime minister was happy to give his full support to Sarkozy earlier in February in an interview with right-leaning Le Figaro, in which he said Sarkozy was “a brave politician” with “great leadership qualities”.
‘Lack of credibility’
On Sunday Sarkozy’s team hit back at Hollande, saying that any effort to shun him was not down to a back-room deal – but was because he lacked credibility as a candidate in the eyes of world leaders.
Sarkozy’s spokeswoman Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet told Canal+ television on Sunday that any unwillingness among leaders to meet him was down to his own hostility towards them.
She said: “He complains that Angela Merkel doesn’t want to speak with him. Of course she won’t want to speak with him after he has gone to Germany and called for her to be voted out of power.”
Kosciusko-Morizet, who is known in France as “NKM”, claimed Hollande’s ostracism was a direct result of him “behaving like a playground bully, saying ‘if I’m elected I will seek to renegotiate the treaty to save the euro zone that took you weeks to agree’”.
and....
WORLD on Sunday: The French presidential election campaign is a pretty German event: Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy is fighting for, and Sigmar Gabriel will occur at the site of François Hollande. How does the Foreign Minister?
Guido Westerwelle: I advise all German parties to exercise restraint. The party-political debate in Germany may not be transferred to France. The federal government is certainly not part of the French election campaign. We work great with the current French government, but we will leave no doubt that Germany, with each government chooses to the French people, will work perfectly. Right now, dexterity is required. We are in a compression phase for Europe.
WORLD on Sunday: What do you mean?
Guido Westerwelle: Germany is currently perceived as very strong and influential in Europe. There is a debate across Europe about the role of Germany in the debt crisis. Now chooses image of Germany settles for years in Europe. The stamping phase we need to make wise. Especially the strong have a duty, and his strength wisely and sensitively.
WORLD on Sunday: Merkel and Sarkozy are fused in the public perception of the euro rescue Merkozy pair - with the Chancellor on the driver's seat. Is that the economic and political leadership, the World Bank President Zoellick and British historians Garton Ash require of Germany?
Guido Westerwelle: There is a difference between opinion leadership and arrangement. Opinion leadership is growing by the force of the argument is the array of strength translate into loyalty. The former are rightly expected of Germany. The latter is wrong. Who now the Teutonic swing leg, gets back a boomerang.
and....
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,819193,00.html
Merkel's anti-Hollande course irritated Westerwelle
By Veit Medick
Berlin - Nicolas Sarkozy indulges in these days hardly a break. He is touring France staged as a maker and is the savior of Europe. But for the 57-year-old bitterly: Despite all the efforts he is a good six weeks before the presidential election polls yet always returns.
Well, it's Angela Merkel.
The Chancellor sets for several months into an unusually open for re-election of its counterpart stuff. She walks with him on French beaches. She performs with him on television. She is planning joint campaign appearances. And his challenger, the Socialists, François Hollande, yet it shows the cold shoulder.
That will probably remain that way. For some conservative European leaders to Merkelhave agreed, Hollande not receive in the election campaign. The confidential agreement between the Chancellor, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy joined by Spiegel information, the British Prime Minister David Cameron. A secret pact with the Socialists?
Merkel's coalition partners are alarmed. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) turned immediately to the Chancellor. There was great concern that the idea of a boycott of the presidential candidates will damage the Franco-German relations, it said in the context of the minister told SPIEGEL ONLINE. Although we do not share many substantive positions of Hollande. It should be clear that the federal government would work with any elected French President very well, it said.
Hollande's European policy plans provide confidence
Merkel's spokesman from officially instigated. Steffen Seibert said via Twitter that every head of government "independently" decide whether he or she meet Hollande or not.Italian government sources said, even by completely nonrepresentational imagination.Be that as it may seem, the resistance against Hollande exactly - it is clear: many conservative leaders are afraid that might be the 57-year-old French president next and back away, to enhance it with official receptions, too.
The program of the socialists is tax and pension policy full of expensive promises. But above all things in Europe could be course Merkel and Co. are dangerous. Hollande has announced its intention to renegotiate the President as a Fiscal Pact in the European debt brake, and stronger budgetary control has been agreed by Brussels. That might not last to prevent the Chancellor - she sees the fiscal pact as a fundamental part of the Euro-rescue and drove him forward accordingly. Probably why so offensive, Merkel turned into French affairs.
That it is also a risk register, particularly Westerwelle. . Long been viewed with suspicion of partiality Merkel's foreign minister as the Chancellor recently appeared together with Sarkozy on television, is made Westerwelle hear the sentence: "The Federal Government is not a party in the French election campaign." There was a general warning that he this weekend - repeated - even before the report of the secret pact against Hollande. "I advise all German parties to exercise restraint," Westerwelle told the newspaper "Welt am Sonntag". "The party-political debate in Germany can not be outsourced to France."The fact that the Liberals are now greatly even indirectly for the French Socialists, makes shows how great is his lack of understanding about Merkel's course.
In fact, Merkel's commitment to France is very unusual. The interference in the internal affairs of other states is generally regarded as an unfriendly act also in the Franco-German relations was always been the rule to stay out of the internal politics of the neighbors. The rally support forSarkozy, Merkel has broken with that tradition. The danger to them: If the presidential election in April ended differently than they might imagine that, pending diplomatic cleanup.
Perceived, this much is clear, the price of the Chancellor in France is very good. Hollande's campaign manager Pierre Moscovici called the interference of the conservative government of "aggravating" and "disturbing." Such pressure is unique in Europe's history, said the former Minister for Europe. He recalled that the Franco-German friendship and Europe must stand above partisan interests.
Only one is laid back: Hollande himself "Should there be an alliance of conservatives for conservative candidates in France, it would be quite natural," he said. About the future of the country but no one else decide when the French people.
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