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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande greet each other in Ludwigsburg, Germany Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images

Hollande and Merkel buddy up for anniversary talks as Euro, EADS loom

The European leaders met today to mark the seminal 1962 speech made by Charles de Gaulle famed for opening a new chapter in relations between France and Germany.

LEADERS OF GERMANY and France met today to mark a seminal 1962 speech by Charles de Gaulle, hoping to use the occasion to make headway on the euro crisis and a mooted EADS-BAE systems merger.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met at the Baroque palace in Ludwigsburg, southwestern Germany, where De Gaulle addressed German youth in a groundbreaking gesture of post-war reconciliation.

Under overcast skies, Hollande told an audience of French and German citizens that European unity was the only way out of the eurozone debt turmoil lashing the common currency.

“The only response to the crisis is Europe, it is Europe that will beat the crisis,” he said in a speech given in French and wrapped up with a few words in German: “Long live the Franco-German friendship!”

(Image: Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images)

Merkel finished her own speech with a line in French: “Long live Franco-German youth, long live European youth!”

The chancellor’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said the meeting would be largely ceremonial, but a few pressing topics were nevertheless to be discussed.

“The issue of EADS and BAE will certainly be addressed at the working lunch with President Hollande,” Seibert told reporters Friday, referring to the proposed tie-up to create the world’s top aeronautics group ahead of Boeing.

“There will of course be no decisions this Saturday and you should not go into the press conference expecting any.”

Merkel and Hollande, who have struggled to keep their initial friction to a minimum since the president took office in May for the sake of the EU and the euro, are to take reporters’ questions at around 3 pm (1300 GMT).

Seibert said they would also talk about tighter checks on the European banking sector, a focus of eurozone crisis-fighting at the moment.

Governments have been cautious since the announcement last week that the British defence group BAE and European aerospace behemoth EADS were negotiating a merger.

The French presidency has said it would only take decisions on the merger project when key details had been clarified.

Germany has also taken a wait-and-see approach, with some officials arguing that the bigger company would be better able to compete on the global market while others worry the fusion could end up costing good jobs.

The two groups have until October 10 to finalise the project or abandon it.

(Image: Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images)

France and Germany hold major stakes in EADS, while the British state has a golden share in BAE that allows it to veto deals that it perceives not to be in the public interest.

Meanwhile Paris and Berlin have differing views on common EU banking surveillance, seen as crucial to ensuring financial stability.

While France would like to hand the European Central Bank power to supervise all 6,000 eurozone banks from January, Germany would like it to keep an eye just on big banks and is in little hurry, saying thoroughness trumps speed.

The past week has also been marked by shifting opinions on the necessity of a sovereign bailout for Spain, with Berlin and Madrid resisting pressure from Paris and the European Commission for a request for a full-blown aid package.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble insisted Friday that Spain did not need a further aid programme on top of promised loans to recapitalise its banking sector.

The drift follows significant divergences laid bare between what Germany and France see as the way forward for the currency area as a whole, going into a trio of difficult EU summits before the end of the year.

Today’s festivities were the latest in a series of events celebrating 50 years of partnership between the wartime foes, now the EU’s two biggest economies.

(Image: Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images)

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    Mute Bananaquit
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    May 9th 2023, 12:16 PM

    Getting involved in the culture wars won’t help their prospects

    321
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    Mute Madra
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    May 9th 2023, 11:56 AM

    These polls are getting easier. No.

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    Mute Stanley Marsh
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    May 9th 2023, 2:13 PM

    @Madra: Have to agree.

    Not good when the soundings out of the camp in recent days has switched to ‘we’re just happy to be here regardless of the result’.

    52
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    Mute Peter
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    May 9th 2023, 3:16 PM

    @Madra:

    There are no difficulty levels

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    May 9th 2023, 12:41 PM

    “Eurovision” would be a great name for an EU optician company. Everyone makes a spectacle of themselves.

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    Mute Jim Bob
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    May 9th 2023, 12:48 PM

    I absolutely and sincerely hope not.
    An absolute embarrassment to the country.

    199
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    May 9th 2023, 1:04 PM

    @Jim Bob: Sounds okay to me. Anyone know why he’s wearing a hood like a disco ball?

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    Mute Vincent Walsh
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    May 9th 2023, 12:02 PM

    After Dustin and Jedward, I’d say no one takes Ireland serious.

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    Mute Rachel Evans
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    May 9th 2023, 12:45 PM

    @Vincent Walsh: Jedward finished 6th in final! Our best result for a long time.

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    Mute qffaffaf affrafrfraf
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    May 9th 2023, 11:51 AM

    not a hope in hell, poor song

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    Mute RJ
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    May 9th 2023, 12:51 PM

    Where is the ‘don’t care’ option.

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    May 9th 2023, 1:02 PM

    @RJ: It’s going to be back for tomorrow’s poll. Two options as answers. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IGNORANCE AND APATHY? A) I DON’T KNOW B) I DON’T CARE

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    Mute Terry Fagan
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    May 9th 2023, 1:41 PM

    @RJ: you cared enough to comment.

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    May 9th 2023, 4:49 PM

    @Terry Fagan: For a comment like that: Null Point

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    Mute Brendan O'Connell
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    May 9th 2023, 11:54 AM

    Bring on Dustin.

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    Mute Liam
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    May 9th 2023, 1:16 PM

    Where is the “I couldnt give a fiddlers” option on the poll?

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    May 9th 2023, 1:19 PM

    They wouldnt win their way out of a paper bag

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    Mute Ann Nugent
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    May 9th 2023, 1:36 PM

    No .Poor Lyrics also Title is childish.

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    Mute JOHN
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    May 9th 2023, 12:14 PM

    ,,,,they’ll generally have decided on a winner before voting even begins. Now where does Ireland stand?

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    Mute Gummo
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    May 9th 2023, 3:00 PM

    Doesn’t matter Ukraine will be picked to win again

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    Mute Patrick Clancy
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    May 9th 2023, 12:27 PM

    Had a chance until Dustin was mentioned. What a waste if Rte were the people who decided he should be on stage

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    Mute Ollie Fitzpatrick
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    May 9th 2023, 1:07 PM

    Plenty of readers that don’t care., cared enough to read the article and vote!!!

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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    May 9th 2023, 2:33 PM

    Maybe but they definitely won’t win. For once I’m not rooting for us.

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    May 9th 2023, 3:45 PM

    Irelande non points

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    Mute Tony O Neill
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    May 9th 2023, 3:05 PM

    That gold yoke he’s wearing is horrible. Harry styles wannabe. Not very wild.

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    Mute Charlie
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    May 9th 2023, 3:21 PM

    Not a chance. They are muck.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    May 9th 2023, 3:40 PM

    I couldn’t vote as there wasn’t an option for “couldn’t care less”.

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    Mute Niall Sheridan
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    May 9th 2023, 4:42 PM

    As long as RTE are running the competition in Ireland we will never win. They consistently send turkeys (Sorry Dustin!) to make sure Ireland won’t win. If we did RTE would have to host the competition the following year! It would near bankrupt the station, who would have to go to the Government for a bailout. Answer is privatise the station!

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    Mute Eamonn Tierney
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    May 9th 2023, 1:46 PM

    An opportunity to show Putin “We Are One”

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    May 9th 2023, 1:06 PM

    I don’t know. And that isn’t an option!

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    May 9th 2023, 4:38 PM

    It’s not the worst song we’ve had in the last 10 years but it’s not far off it. I’d be very surprised if we get through. Sweden will win on Saturday night. But I like the Danish song.

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    Mute Joanne Stokes
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    May 9th 2023, 4:15 PM

    What is with the silver masks, what are they hiding come on!

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    Mute Dave
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    May 9th 2023, 4:47 PM

    Is there an option that we dont care????

    Vote here you don’t care

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    Mute Gummo
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    May 9th 2023, 3:01 PM

    Why don’t they send U2

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    Mute Hotirish
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    May 9th 2023, 8:55 PM

    OMG, the Irish fella is packing some serious camel toe!!!

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    Mute ian cryan
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    May 9th 2023, 6:18 PM

    aww Jesus stop entering this

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    Mute Michael
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    May 9th 2023, 4:50 PM

    Guys, I hope U2 got some credit on that song.. Where the streets have no name sounds awwwwful familiar. Don’t believe it? Go listen…

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    Mute Brendan Tannam
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    May 9th 2023, 7:31 PM

    Cliche-ridden pap produced by ChatGPT.

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    May 9th 2023, 5:49 PM

    What is Eurovizmuz? I could ask essential questions like, What is existentialism…What is the meaning of Meaning…Where is it all at? etc. etc.

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