By William Horobin
PARIS--French finance minister Michel Sapin said Wednesday
France is still pushing for the European Union to use the
flexibility of budget rules to adapt the pace of deficit
reduction.
"It's not a question of knocking over the table, but finding a
level of deficit reduction that supports growth," Mr. Sapin said at
a news conference in Paris.
France has repeatedly missed deficit reduction targets in recent
years, sparking tensions with the European Commission, which is
responsible for enforcing new fiscal rules designed to avoid a
repeat of the eurozone's debt crisis.
The commission is due to decide in March whether it will begin
proceedings that could ultimately result in financial sanctions
against France.
Mr. Sapin said that the election of leftist group Syriza in
Greece bolsters the case for reviewing austerity policies in
Europe. Mr. Sapin said he had spoken earlier Wednesday with the new
Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis on the telephone and will
meet with him in Paris on Monday.
-Write to William Horobin at william.horobin@wsj.com