French president Nicolas Sarkozy warned of damage to Franco-German relationship if Angela Merkel opposed EU plan

French president Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to pull out of the euro unless Angela Merkel dropped her hostility to the EU’s safety net plan.

Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to abandon the euro unless Angela Merkel dropped her hostility to the EU’s €750bn safety net for the single currency, sources in Brussels and European capitals said yesterday.

In a confrontation between Europe's two most powerful politicians, the French president said he would walk out of the talks and warned of lasting damage to the Franco-German relationship unless the German chancellor backed the plans.

“It was a standup argument. He was shouting and bawling,” said one official in Brussels. “It was Sarkozy on steroids,” said a European diplomat. “He's always very energetic. This time he was very emotional, too.” The French leader banged his fist on the table, according to yesterday’s El País newspaper in Spain.

Read more >> | Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to pull out of euro over Greece row | World news | The Guardian.

See also >> | EuropeanVoice.com | Sarkozy ‘threatened’ to leave eurozone

See also >> | EuropeanCEO | Berlin denies Sarkozy threatened to quit euro