Nicolas Sarkozy

CNBC reported a little while ago that the European Central Bank bought €22 billion worth of Italian, Portuguese, Ireland & Spanish debt last week. This is exactly what the Federal Reserve is doing, with its quantitative easing program here. While the amount, €22 billion, was more expected,...

Germany is downplaying speculation that a Tuesday meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will result in some sort of agreement to create eurobonds backed by all of the eurozone members. Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, said a day...

The French economy unexpectedly stagnated during the 2nd quarter, according to France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, which reported that France's 2nd quarter economic growth rate was 0% and that consumer spending fell 0.9%. The news is troubling because France is the...

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) is being probed by the SEC for potentially violating the foreign bribery law. Kinda hard to NOT notice someone handing you a tractor. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has given his finance and budget ministers one week to come up with new measures to cut France's debt....

Nicolas Sarkozy is going to meet with Angela Merkel in Berlin today to discuss the Eurozone's debt crisis. The plan offered by the "Gang of Six" is offering a ray of hope over raising the debt ceiling and cutting the federal deficit. Prime Minister David Cameron went before Parliament today to...

Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced plans to rollover Greece's existing debt held by French banks. The plan could set the stage for a broader European effort to salvage the ongoing crisis in Greece. Yet, the plan rests on credit agencies not cutting Greece's debt to default,...

After U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner endorsed French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde for the next head of the International Monetary Fund, Lagarde's nomination has been all but sealed at this point. Lagarde is expected to be selected for candidacy from the 24-member board, and make...

On Friday, the EUR/USD pair rallied as comments from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy indicated that a new bailout package for Greece worth nearly 150 billion euros would come sometime in July, Reuters reported. The markets moved higher on the news. In the U.S...

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has got German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrapped around his little finger. This is sending the euro higher. Sarkozy, visiting Frau Merkel in Berlin, has been successful in getting Merkel to compromise on her demands for bondholders to carry the burden. She said she...

On Tuesday, an emergency meeting of euro finance chiefs failed to produce a plan for a privately financed Greek bailout, Bloomberg reported. Over the past several weeks, European politicians—particularly French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel—have been indicating that...

French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke on Tuesday at the European Union's headquarters in Brussels. In his speech, he called for tighter controls on derivatives trading in commodity markets. Sarkozy remarked that the world had worked hard to restore economic growth after the global financial...

The euro rallied on Thursday afternoon, after Reuters reported that euro zone officials came to a preliminary agreement over a new aide package that would fund Greece for three more years. Greece remains under tremendous financial stress as it struggles to get its fiscal house in order. In recent...

Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters in Paris on Tuesday that a new definitive plan would be unveiled to bailout Greece "by the end of June", according to Bloomberg. In his statements, he ruled out the possibility of a "total restructuring" of Greek debt. He did not, however, rule out a partial-...

Otmar Issing, former Chief Economist for the European Central Bank, said in an interview on Thursday that Greece "cheated" in order to join the euro zone, according to Bloomberg. Issing went further, stating that Greece will probably be unable to pay its debts. The euro launched in 1999, and...

On Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy hinted that there may be private sector involvement in a new deal to bailout the Greek government, according to Dow Jones. Exactly who in the private sector is willing to come to Greece's aide? Especially considering that the country will require cash...