Word: merkel
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...course, it's been the other way around. This is the country whose prime minister himself cracks bad jokes, comments such as his recent quip that Barack Obama is "young, handsome and suntanned." Two weeks' ago, Berlusconi even played a "peek-a-boo" prank on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hiding behind a monument as Merkel arrived in the Italian city of Trieste for an economic summit and discussions on the global downturn...
...Normally, E.U. countries must obtain approval from Brussels to reduce their VAT rates. But Europe's rescue package might include a provision for countries to cut their VAT rate unilaterally. In snarking at this idea, Merkel and Sarkozy are probably sending a message to other member states that are contemplating following Britain's lead...
...plan was swift - and far from the general applause Britain's leaders received for their bank-bailout plans just six weeks ago. "A general decrease in value-added tax is perhaps the answer for some countries, but for Germany and France it is not," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, following a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on a common European response to the economic downturn. Asked Sarkozy: "Should we use up our available room for maneuver on reducing prices when prices are already falling...
...pair also did some barking at each other. Merkel flatly rejected her host's urgings that Germany go beyond the $41 billion in economic spending that Berlin has promised for the next two years. Sarkozy pointedly contrasted Merkel's stand-firm position with his own plans to continue deploying new funds to fight recession. "France is working on it," Sarkozy said of further stimulus spending. "Germany is thinking about...
...stronger than it thinks, and Russia is weaker than it pretends. Note to Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy: Use your leverage not to rile Russia, but to recruit it into the community of responsible powers. Tell President Medvedev that the new economic partnership agreement comes with a good-conduct pledge - like not invading neighbors or threatening them with missiles...