French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault sought on Friday to calm tensions with Berlin, insisting Paris was not seeking to isolate Chancellor Angela Merkel as it seeks new solutions to the euro zone debt crisis.
New French President Francois Hollande is eager to show that he can hold his ground against Merkel as he tries to shift Europe's focus towards reviving growth and away from German-imposed austerity, where for years Paris stood alongside Berlin.
Ayrault, a former German teacher, denied that France was trying to form a united front with Italy and Spain against Merkel and austerity. Asked on Europe 1 radio if France was seeking such a thing, Ayrault replied: "Absolutely not. That would be the wrong way. That is absolutely not my position nor that of France."
Read more: France not seeking anti-Merkel alliance: PM - chicagotribune.com
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