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French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, smiles as he greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday Dec. 5, 2011 Remy de la Mauvinere/AP/Press Association Images

Merkozy: Europe needs a 'tougher' treaty

The leaders of France and Germany say that a new, “tougher” European treaty needed to be agreed upon by March of next year.

THE LEADERS OF France and Germany have said this afternoon that Europe needs a revised, “tougher” treaty to ensure that the current debt crisis never happens again.

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel released a statement after their meeting in Paris earlier today, where they discussed potential EU treaty changes to increase fiscal coordination across the eurozone.

They concluded that a new European treaty needed to be agreed upon by March 2012, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Merkel and Sarkozy said that eurozone member states ought to be forced to undergo more thorough evaluations of their budgets and face sanctions if they run up deficits, reports the BBC. Ideally, all 27 states of the European Union would be subject to the new treaty, Merkel said, but if that were not possible then it would at least apply to the 17 eurozone members.

On Friday, the French and German leaders will present their proposals at a crucial summit of EU ministers, which will focus on how to bring the fiscal union out of its current crisis.

Read: This Friday could be one of the biggest days in European history – here’s why>

Read: ‘Merkozy’ meet to plan stronger fiscal coordination across eurozone>

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25 Comments
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    Mute Paddy C
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    Aug 28th 2024, 8:27 PM

    It’s a wonder why,they’re futures are bleak despite ‘thriving economy’ and all the waffle from the rich and politicians. The cost of living is through the roof and rising again in October with fuel increases and knock on effect once more plus rents are rising due to lack of availability and influx of people increasing demand while government proudly sit on they’re hands staring into oblivion.

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    Mute J Cronin
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    Aug 28th 2024, 8:52 PM

    @Paddy C: Inflation is a tax created be government to catch up with the debts they’ve accumulated since 2007.

    33
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    Mute Paddy C
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    Aug 28th 2024, 9:35 PM

    @J Cronin: there is unfortunately a strong possibility of a recession on the horizon. How severe it will be is another thing. Its half government half the population to blame they allowed the housing crisis to escalate which has increased borrowing and spending and for a certain few wages to a degree. But for the majority in wage increases, very little in actual real terms of spending power just increased cost of living so no improvement. The spending by younger generations at present is those stuck at home unable to move out so might aswel spend they’re incomes and enjoy life so that’s made to look as if we’re all swimming in money.

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    Mute UK Hurling Bloke
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    Aug 29th 2024, 12:05 AM

    @Paddy C: their, they’re, there..

    4
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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:28 PM

    Need a study for teenagers who wish they were never born.

    70
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    Mute Damian Mchugh
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:28 PM

    Alone.ie

    49
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    Mute Louise Marie
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:38 PM

    Terribly sad. Except to those who are pushing for Euthanasia to be brought in here. To them it’s probably an opportunity and a validation.

    44
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    Mute Regular John
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    Aug 28th 2024, 6:05 PM

    @Louise Marie:
    Very sad alright but I do think euthanasia should be an option in some cases. I’ve seen people suffer before they pass on and it is hard to watch. As long as the person is in their full senses when they decide to take this road I think I’d agree with it. I mean we allow abortion now, the person being put to death there doesn’t get any say in the matter ! Can I ask what your reasons for disagreeing with euthanasia are ? Just curious.

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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    Aug 29th 2024, 1:35 AM

    Why does it take an academic study to highlight the very obvious? Older people, living alone, are self-evidently lonely. They can go for day or weeks without any meaningful contact with other people. Their lives become one never ending struggle. My parents and parents-in-law never had to go through such a harrowing experience. Sadly, many older parents are cast aside by family and overlooked by neighbours.

    32
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    Mute Tatjana Kytmannow
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    Aug 29th 2024, 12:42 PM

    @Minnie Mouse: I am living alone. So do a good few of my friends. We all have rich and varied social lives. Most of my friends have academic degrees and still take part in research. We also all own our houses, ie mortgage rates don’t concern us personally. I am an OAP now and travel several times in winter to warmer climates, swim every day in my private leisure centre where I meet my friends, do a large garden, have pets, and have lots of hobbies. I never feel lonely.

    3
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    Mute Athena
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    Aug 29th 2024, 7:57 PM

    @Tatjana Kytmannow: Lucky you. Hoping you appreciate how lucky you are.

    2
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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 28th 2024, 3:49 PM

    Religion is nonsense, these people need to grow up

    41
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    Mute Michael o Dwyer
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:03 PM

    @The Risen: these people can believe in what ever the f#@k they want to. It’s none of your concern

    267
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    Mute TheGood Feign
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:04 PM

    @The Risen: People battling against loneliness and harboring suicidal thoughts don’t need someone to tell them to grow up, why would you say that? The result of the study was that it’s the sense of community and being prosocial that helps combat against loneliness, whether that’s through a religious gathering as a medium to connect to others or secular activity was just that, as a medium. My only gripe is that studies like this have already been carried out with the same results so I’m not sure what Trinity thinks it’s proving here other than underscoring those previous studies.

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    Mute offside again
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:04 PM

    @The Risen: Troll exhumes someone elses account to make a stupid comment.
    Are you lonely ? You spend so much time on here ..

    54
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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:21 PM

    @Michael o Dwyer: why would people believe in sky fairies, it makes absolutely no sense

    17
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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:26 PM

    @offside again: “only lonely on the inside” by hootie and blowfish

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:29 PM

    @The Risen: Coping mechanism, people still find it useful. It’s interesting how they’ve created this scientific reason for believing that paradise awaits in an article about this new ‘syndrome “WTD” (Google finds white tail Disease) and the argument for assisted dying. hmmm

    12
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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:32 PM

    @Thesaltyurchin: mind boggling and illogical, religion needs to be banished from the lives of everyone, using a spaghetti monster as a coping mechanism is as ridiculous as religion itself

    13
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    Mute offside again
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:57 PM

    @The Risen: atheism is the most absurd belief of them all ..

    50
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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:10 PM

    @offside again: common sense to not believe in something that doesn’t exist

    21
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    Mute Michael o Dwyer
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:16 PM

    @The Risen: doesn’t matter what they believe or what you believe if it helps them who cares

    53
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    Mute offside again
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:18 PM

    @The Risen: ‘… that you don’t believe exists’. There, corrected that for you.
    You’re welcome !

    27
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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:19 PM

    @Michael o Dwyer: it bothers me that adults will cling on to something which is a complete fallacy

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    Mute Regular John
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:36 PM

    @The Risen:
    It didn’t take long for the angry atheists to appear. Why does it bother you what other people believe ? I bet they aren’t bothered by your belief that no God exists and it is a belief, nothing more. Why are atheists always so angry ?

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    Mute Clare Power
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:41 PM

    @The Risen: ill say a prayer for you, you’ll need it!

    39
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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 28th 2024, 5:43 PM

    @Clare Power: praying is an absurd waste of time

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    Mute Chutes
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    Aug 28th 2024, 6:12 PM

    @The Risen: I’m an atheist. Let people believe in whatever religion they want if it provides comfort even for a short time providing they aren’t using their religion as an excuse to hurt others.
    We are not here for a long time yet we spend an inordinate amount of that time in wasted conflict. Pity!

    51
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    Mute Chutes
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    Aug 28th 2024, 6:13 PM

    @The Risen: “praying is an absurd waste of time”
    So what, it’s not your time!

    46
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    Mute UK Hurling Bloke
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    Aug 29th 2024, 12:07 AM

    @The Risen: yet there you go dogmatically telling people what they should and shouldn’t think, based on your beliefs – tosspot !

    13
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    Mute Feargal De Cantuin
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    Aug 29th 2024, 4:32 AM

    @P. V. Aglue: and hello in there by John Prine

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    Mute daragh harmon
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    Aug 29th 2024, 11:31 AM

    @The Risen: I suppose men believing they are women and vice versa is not worse. Because that’s what replacing it.

    5
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    Mute P Roche
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    Aug 29th 2024, 1:53 PM

    @The Risen: what an ironic profile name

    5
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    Mute Chutes
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    Aug 28th 2024, 6:10 PM

    I know exactly what they mean!

    16
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    Mute David Busher
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    Aug 29th 2024, 5:30 AM

    In my experience …your faith has always been with you, even when you turned your back on it in your younger days, its not till later in life you realise that by looking at your life that you were wrong about it… Read the psalm of David 22:31. It’s starts.. my god my god why have thow forsaken me.. it changed my life and renewed my faith. And its a beautiful thing…let me just finnish by saying, I’m not a bible basher, and don’t follow of a religion, but my faith has been restored by this psalm of David, and I pray every day as best I can. It just makes me feel good and I feel that inside my heart .. god bless all that feel they are forgotten. everyone may have left you but christ is there still, and never left you.. and if you look you will find him there…love and peace god bless

    19
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 28th 2024, 4:25 PM

    Frontiers… “Potential, possible, or probable” predatory open-access publishers.”

    10
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    Mute P Roche
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    Aug 29th 2024, 2:05 PM

    My humble opinion is that everything starts in the family. If there’s no connection, no affection, that’s what children learn. The people who don’t visit their elderly today and don’t connect with their own children, are the ones who are going to be lonely and wishing to die when they’re older. It’s a cycle, a snowball. Communities would be much closer if the people belonging to them had learn how to connect with other people. People focus too much on the material side of life and lose focus on what really matters, and then find some institution or people to blame. “It’s the government’s fault, it’s the church’s fault, it’s the migrants fault, etc” Very convenient to find culprits instead of cutting the cycle. It’s really all about love.

    5
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