The Malta Independent 27 June 2025, Friday
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Britain faces tension over push for less European Union control

Associated Press Tuesday, 26 May 2015, 16:11 Last update: about 11 years ago

EU officials are welcoming a French-German push for closer cooperation among the countries that use the euro, while British Prime Minister David Cameron's office says that won't derail his mission to reduce EU involvement in national affairs.

A spokesman for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Margaritis Schinas, said Tuesday that the Franco-German idea is "key" to efforts to strengthen the eurozone. Newspaper Le Monde reported that France and Germany submitted a letter to Juncker over the weekend calling for closer decision-making among eurozone members.

Cameron, meanwhile, is visiting European capitals this week to try to reduce centralized EU control, notably over policies such as migration and welfare.

Cameron's official spokesman, Jean-Christophe Gray, said Franco-German discussions about the eurozone shouldn't affect Cameron's discussions this week. Britain does not use the euro.

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