EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stepped up their media charm offensive on Friday morning (11 December), as part of ongoing efforts to bury their recent differences. Announcing their intentions to work together is securing an ambitious EU agreement on `fast-start' climate funding (2010-2012) for developing countries and EU emission cuts, the two leaders went out of their way to show all was well between London and Paris. "It is a very strong relationship and one that is working today as we examine climate change," said Mr Brown in a joint press conference with the French leader. The day before France announced it would follow the UK's lead and implement a one-off 50 percent windfall tax for French bankers receiving bonuses of over €27,000.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stepped up their media charm offensive on Friday morning (11 December), as part of ongoing efforts to bury their recent differences.
Announcing their intentions to work together is securing an ambitious EU agreement on `fast-start' climate funding (2010-2012) for developing countries and EU emission cuts, the two leaders went out of their way to show all was well between London and Paris.
"It is a very strong relationship and one that is working today as we examine climate change," said Mr Brown in a joint press conference with the French leader.
The day before France announced it would follow the UK's lead and implement a one-off 50 percent windfall tax for French bankers receiving bonuses of over €27,000.
Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy last night called a truce in their battle over how the City of London should be regulated and declared a joint offensive against excessive bonuses for bankers. The Prime Minister and French President held a 30-minute tête-a-tête in the margins of a European Union summit in Brussels. A week ago, their meeting was billed as a showdown over inflammatory remarks by M Sarkozy, who declared that Britain was the "big loser" in the share-out of jobs on the European Commission and suggested that his French ally Michel Barnier would use his new post as Internal market commissioner to rein in the "excesses of Anglo-Saxon financial capitalism".
The Prime Minister and French President held a 30-minute tête-a-tête in the margins of a European Union summit in Brussels. A week ago, their meeting was billed as a showdown over inflammatory remarks by M Sarkozy, who declared that Britain was the "big loser" in the share-out of jobs on the European Commission and suggested that his French ally Michel Barnier would use his new post as Internal market commissioner to rein in the "excesses of Anglo-Saxon financial capitalism".
