If the United Kingdom votes to leave the EU next week, the move could ultimately lead to the bloc's disintegration, Germany's foreign minister has warned. Frank-Walter Steinmeier was speaking near Berlin after talks with his French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault.
French President Francois Hollande has chosen centrist Interior Minister Manuel Valls as his new prime minister, replacing Jean-Marc Ayrault who quit after the ruling Socialists were trounced in local elections. The 51-year-old Valls has been compared with New Labor former British premier Tony Blair both for his pro-business ideas and his dashing style.
France threatened to block the start of free trade talks between the European Union and the United States if movies and digital media are not kept out the negotiations. Two days before EU countries are supposed to give the go-ahead for negotiations France said it would veto the talks unless the sector - that it sees as crucial to its cultural identity and under threat from Hollywood - is excluded.
European Union looks set for a new round of clashes this week as an extraordinary summit called to agree a long-term trillion-Euro budget heads for an ugly showdown, possibly even failure.
French President Francois Hollande named veteran Socialist parliamentary leader and Germany-expert Jean-Marc Ayrault as prime minister on Tuesday, an appointment which may help smooth negotiations with Berlin on tempering austerity in Europe.