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| Angela Merkel with François Hollande |
In an unprecedented statement, breaking the taboo that European leaders should not discuss national security or secret service operations, the German Chancellor and French President called for a new transatlantic pact to prevent American intelligence services spying on Europe.
“We need a code of good conduct to be adopted by the Europeans and we ourselves have to be clear that we should not do what we don’t want others to do,” said François Hollande, the French leader.
“France and Germany will take an initiative. We will start discussing the matter with the Americans in order to agree a common framework that will be done by the end of the year, and the other Europeans who would like to join us will be welcome.”
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said new international agreements were needed to hold spy agencies in check, after it emerged on Thursday that her mobile phone may have been bugged by an American listening post in Berlin.
“The US has every reason for wanting to have friends in the world of today. Trust needs to be rebuilt. That implies trust has been severely shaken,” she said. “Words will not be sufficient. True change will be needed.” » | Bruno Waterfield, and Christopher Hope in Brussels and Peter Foster | Friday, October 25, 2013
