French public finances in 'very great difficulty', says Trichet

European Central Bank (ECB) chief Jean-Claude Trichet has said that France's public finances are in "very great difficulty."

"In 2007, according to statistics from the European commission, France will be the country spending the most in public expenditure in relation to gross domestic product, not only within the eurozone but among the 27 members of the European Union", Mr Trichet told Europe 1 radio on Sunday (23 September).

On top of that, "the development of France's public f...