France's Hollande focuses on euro crisis

PARIS -- French President-elect François Hollande didn't wait to take office to press his agenda for digging Europe out of economic crisis: He met yesterday with the European Union president and presented his case for joint European bonds and government stimulus to boost growth.

Powerhouse Germany isn't fond of either idea, at least not now, and wants other European governments to tighten their budgets first.

That has prompted concerns about the Franco-German relationship that has underpinned European cooperation for decades -- concerns that a senior adviser to Hollande, a socialist, and a senior lawmaker in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party both sought to downplay yesterday.

France's election of Hollande on Sunday "will be a factor of unity in Europe," his adviser, Pierre Moscovici, said.

He noted that one of Hollande's first meetings this week -- even before he is inaugurated May 15 -- was with EU President Herman Van Rompuy.

Hollande meets today with Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister who also chairs meetings of the eurozone's 17 finance ministers. And Hollande will make his first foreign trip after taking office to see Merkel in Berlin.

Even European leaders who don't share space with Hollande on the left of the political spectrum "are showing a great availability to debate with Mr. Hollande on the growth agenda," Moscovici said.

Hollande and Van Rompuy discussed the Frenchman's plan to send a letter to other European leaders laying out his proposals for joint European bonds, government-sponsored investment and a financial transaction tax, Moscovici said.

Under President Nicolas Sarkozy, France took a leading role with Merkel on finding a solution to the continent's debt crisis.