Anglo-French row over EU budget worsens
EU foreign ministers abandoned a closed-door meeting on the EU budget on Sunday evening without agreement and with positions hardening on the British yearly rebate and what to do about the bloc's large farm subsidies. Ministers went into the meeting having been witness to a growing Anglo-French spat as London and Paris traded insults over their respective red lines. British foreign secretary Jack Straw set the tone of the meeting by branding demands by French president Jacques Chirac that the around 4.6 billion euro annual British rebate be given up as "deluded". "The rebate is not the issue, and people are deluded if they think it is the issue", said Mr Straw following calls by Mr Chirac last week that London make a "gesture of solidarity".
posted by Unknown @ 5:09 PM
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