France's new president Francois [sic] Hollande made another thinly-veiled on David Cameron today when he claimed Britain treats Europe 'like a self-service restaurant'.
The new Socialist president-elect made his aggressive position towards the UK clear while outlining plans for his first meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Asked by the news website Slate how he planned to deal with Mr Cameron, given the fact that the Conservative leader had snubbed him during a visit to London earlier this year, Mr Hollande also said he would meet him 'quickly'.
But Mr Hollande, who openly describes himself as an 'enemy of finance', said he would make his antipathy towards the City of London clear.
Mr Hollande had only this week fired a broadside at the coalition government by criticising Britain's supposed 'obsession' with protecting the City of London from Brussels-inspired legislation.
Mr Hollande said: 'Let us recognise that the British have been particularly timid about the question of financial regulation and only concerned by the interests of the City, hence their reticence on the establishment of a financial transactions tax and European fiscal harmonisation.
'And to that is added a relative indifference to the fate of the Eurozone, because Great Britain is protected against speculation since its central bank can intervene directly to finance its debt.
'Europe is not a cash till and less still a self-service restaurant.' Read on and comment » | Peter Allen | Wednesday, May 09, 2012
