FRENCH Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron has called on Germany to spend an additional 50 billion euros (US$65 billion) on investments over the next three years to support the European economy, according to comments that appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) Daily.

    Macron and French Finance Minister Michel Sapin were due to visit Berlin yesterday for talks with their German counterparts.

    France is under pressure to secure EU backing for its 2015 budget, which flouts its past deficit-cutting commitments, while Germany faces criticism for failing to spend more and support the faltering eurozone economy.

    In the FAZ, Macron urged Germany to offset the 50 billion euros in savings that Paris has announced.

    “Fifty billion euros savings for us, and 50 billion euros extra investment for them — that would be a good balance,” Macron said, noting that demand in Europe was too weak and budget consolidation should not be overdone.

    (SD-Agencies)