DUBLIN: France and Germany should not go on 'solo runs' during a financial crisis, Ireland's deputy prime minister said on Thursday, amid concerns the euro zone's two main members are considering creating a smaller euro zone.
"All of the countries in the euro zone and indeed the European Union are interdependent on each other, whether Germany or France or any other country. They need to understand that there is an interdependence here," Eamon Gilmore told reporters.
"While it is understandable that for political reasons, for domestic political reasons, that countries take a nationalistic approach to these issues and a bit of an individualistic approach, what is required now is a collective approach."
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned on Wednesday that a reduction in the euro zone would hit the region's economy hard. Gilmore said the Irish government supported that view.
"I very much agree with what president Barroso said last night, the speech that he made, where he made it very clear that individual countries should not be going off on solo runs."
On Wednesday, EU sources told Reuters that German and French officials had discussed plans for a radical overhaul of the EU that would involve setting up a more integrated and potentially smaller euro zone.
Gilmore said Europe's problems were political, and as the political uncertainty in Italy and Greece was resolved the crisis in the single-currency bloc should abate.
"Some of the difficulties we have seen over the past couple of days are related to political uncertainty and political doub particularly in Italy and Greece. I would hope and expect that as the political situation eases, the situation will stabilise."
Separately, the leader of Ireland's main opposition party has written to Prime Minister Enda Kenny calling on him to convene a meeting of the country's political leaders to discuss the crisis and possibly agree an all-party negotiating position on it.
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