France Compares David Cameron to Far-Right Leader Following His Fury at the EU Budget

The figure compared Mr Cameron to Mrs Le Pen, left, who
leads the Front National party in France

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France risks diplomatic row with Britain after comparing the Prime Minister to far-Right leader Marine Le Pen

France has risked a major diplomatic row with the UK after a senior government figure likened David Cameron to far-Right leader Marine Le Pen, saying his handling of a row over whether Britain should pay a £1.7 billion bill was “nationalistic” and “Byzantine”.

The French figure, who is close to President Francois Hollande, said that the Prime Minister had displayed “no European solidarity” when he hit out against the budget bill demanded by the EU because of the success of Britain’s economy.

In comments that will prompt outrage in Downing Street, the figure compared Mr Cameron to Miss Le Pen, who leads the Front National party in France.

Mr Cameron last month raised hackles among his European counterparts by suggesting the surcharge was “making thousands of voters believe the country should leave the European Union”.

He called the bill “outrageous” and refused to pay “anything like” the amount demanded by Brussels. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Friday, November 14, 2014

Dead-End Road for Mr. No: David Cameron's Risky EU Showdown

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: All eyes are on British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday as European Union leaders gather in Brussels for talks aimed at passing the bloc's next budget. His pre-summit blustering leaves him with little wiggle room, and he could emerge as the debate's biggest loser.

When the 27 European Union heads of state and government arrive in Brussels on Thursday evening for the budget summit, all eyes will be on David Cameron. The British prime minister is in a pugnacious mood, and has said he is prepared to veto the European Commission's budgetary proposal for the years 2014 to 2020 if he doesn't get his way.

Cameron is set to arrive ahead of most of his European counterparts for talks with European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso in an attempt to outline a possible compromise. It promises to be a difficult task.

Every seven years, the EU must come together to fashion a spending plan, and each time it becomes a bitter battle over national interests. For the approaching seven-year period, the Commission has proposed raising EU spending to €1.091 trillion. And the EU's executive body has the support of the European Parliament as well as the 17 countries who are net recipients -- a group made up primarily of Southern and Eastern European countries who receive more from the EU budget than they pay in. » | Carsten Volkery in London | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Britain's EU Wavering: What Cameron Doesn't Know Could Hurt You

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Does Britain have a future as a member of the European Union? Prime Minister David Cameron doesn't have an answer to that question -- and that is a problem. His threats to veto the EU budget and efforts at securing a special status for his country are both undignified and dangerous.

David Cameron's favorite toy while attending European Union summit meetings is his BlackBerry. He glances at it constantly, almost as though he thinks it can provide him with guidance. Unfortunately, it cannot.

EU heads of state and government are gathering in Brussels this Thursday for talks on the 27-nation club's next budget, set to cover the years from 2014 to 2020. And Cameron, the British prime minister, has threatened to torpedo negotiations if the €1 trillion spending plan submitted by the European Commission isn't drastically cut. » | A Commentary by Christoph Scheuermann | Tuesday, November 20, 2012