France
Weak EU growth reveals the price of austerity
Total GDP growth in both the EU and the eurozone was 1.7% - sluggish but not entirely unexpected, compared to 3.2% growth in the US and a 0.5% contraction in the UK.
Lib Dem foreign minister’s French slur
Foreign office minister Jeremy Browne was accused of racism by a heckler on Question Time last night after remarks about the French. Talking about the Anglo-French defence treaty signed by the prime minister and President Sarkozy this week, he said: "We're not merging our Army with France. Our soldiers won't be required to speak French or wear onions round their necks or stripey t-shirts, or ride bicycles."
Is Anglo-French co-operation on nuclear warheads illegal?
Much of the British media has dedicated the last few days to questioning the strategic and fiscal pitfalls/merits of the military and nuclear agreements signed by David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday. However, the legal context to the nuclear part of the agreement raises some interesting questions, and has largely been ignored.