Trichet in talks with French PM

Following is a letter sent to the Editor of the Financial Times:

Sir,

Mr. Trichet has been asked for more meetings with politicians many times and from many sources and his response has always been that these sorts of meetings are unnecessary, given that he know the views of European politicians already and more meetings would not enlighten him further.

Good answer......we know what the politicians want.

Now it seems that Mr. Trichet may have changed his mind and is meeting with the French Prime Minister ("Trichet in talks with French PM" Financial Times, July 26, 2007).

The new French government has already announced what they want; a role in the setting of interest rates and on manipulating the Euro exchange rate.

This meeting is not good news.

This is one reason why the French usually want their candidates heading up international organizations, the IMF is next, they get a better hearing that way!


Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See article:
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, on Wednesday tried to smooth over differences with the French government over European monetary policy in talks with François Fillon, the French prime minister.

Mr Trichet, who regularly consults European government leaders, said he had a “very good meeting” with Mr Fillon to discuss the eurozone and the global economy. But both sides declined to reveal the substance of their talks.

Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, has repeatedly called for a rethink of European monetary and exchange rate policies to take more account of economic growth, unemployment, and industrial competitiveness. The recent rise in the euro’s value against the US dollar, touching $1.38 earlier this week, has added greater resonance to Mr Sarkozy’s calls.

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