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Herman van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso have assured that a package of decisions to fight the European debt crisis will be contained.

European leaders to meet again on Wednesday to fight debt crisis

Another summit of EU heads of state will be held on Wednesday in order to sign off on measures agreed by finance ministers.

EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL convene for their second summit within a week on Wednesday evening, when they are expected to sign off on new measures which hope to draw a definitive line underneath the continent’s debt crisis.

After a meeting of heads of government in Brussels today, European Council president Herman van Rompuy said another meeting would be required on Wednesday to sign off on the package of firefighting measures.

Those measures will be finalised by a meeting of finance ministers which will take place earlier on Wednesday, van Rompuy said.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, who also addressed reporters after the meeting, said those meetings would come up with a “comprehensive package” agreement on four matters.

Those matters are:

  • How the continent is to handle the growing unease about Greece’s debt – van Rompuy this afternoon promised a “lasting solution” on that issue;
  • The recapitalisation of European banks to handle any future financial shocks;
  • The ‘leveraging’ of the European Financial Stability Fund in order to increase its lending power
  • The financial governance of the Eurozone.

Van Rompuy said leaders were “confident we will get an agreement on Wednesday” and said European leaders – including those of France and Germany – had been “working in a spirit of compromise, in a spirit of having an ambitious package to reassure the rest of the world of our determination to safeguard the Eurozone”.

“I saw the French president and German chancellor determined to work together – together with the other members of the Eurozone. Agreement betwen France and Germany is a necessity, but is not succificient at all,” van Rompuy added.

Barroso said Europe “can and must do more” to prompt economic growth, and voted to proceed further with a so-called ‘Tobin tax’ on financial transactions.

“There is a need for the financial sector to make a clear contribution back to society,” Barroso said, arguing that such a tax could also be used to convince the G20 that Europe was taking affirmative action.

A statement issued by the European heads of state following today’s meeting also agreed to make a full decision, by Wednesday, on whether any of their proposals will require amendment of the current European treaties.

Any amendment would need the unanimous approval of all 27 member states – meaning leaders including Enda Kenny could come under fresh domestic political pressure ahead of the Wednesday summit.

Speaking separately after the summit, Britain’s prime minister David Cameron warned he would not sign off on any proposed treaty amendments unless those changes were “in the UK’s best interest”.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy, in a joint briefing with Angela Merkel, described Ireland as being “on the way out of the crisis”.

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12 Comments
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    Mute pagan
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 8:18 PM

    Lets hold a meeting about a meeting about the last meeting that was ment to sort out this mess.Its no wonder the euro is going to fail when we have fools running europe who havent a clue what to do with this mess europe is in.

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    Mute JeasusBigBalls
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 8:25 PM

    Monkey’s running the Zoo

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    Mute Mustafa Cezar
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 5:45 PM

    Deeper Europe or disband! The EU has only two options for the future…

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    Mute Barry Healy
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 9:30 PM

    is there anything to be said for having another mass?!

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 9:59 PM

    Lol. Where’s Pat Mustard now?

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    Mute Niall Conran
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    Oct 24th 2011, 1:50 AM

    “I saw the French president and German chancellor determined to work together – together with the other members of the Eurozone. Agreement betwen France and Germany is a necessity, but is not succificient at all,” van Rompuy added.
    This one line from the article sums the whole situation up nicely.We are now part of a European Union that is being steered solely by two nations.The fact that 2 nations from the bloc can be allowed to dictate policy and direction to the rest of the member states is totally unacceptable.

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    Mute Titus d
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    Oct 24th 2011, 12:27 AM

    In other important news, a cat in Clonmel is stuck up a tree since 2pm today

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 4:32 PM

    Bleh…

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    Mute Paul
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 10:51 PM

    The last one out of europe turn out the light

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    Mute Eileen Gabbett
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 11:54 PM

    Where Will it all end ???

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    Mute Sean O'Keeffe
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    Oct 23rd 2011, 11:23 PM

    Credit Suisse writes off 66 major European banks.
    Banks capital shortfall estimated at €400 billion.
    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/credit-suisse-buries-europeam-banks-sees-deutsche-bank-and-65-other-bank-failing-latest-stress-

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    Mute Kieran Cooke
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    Oct 24th 2011, 5:50 AM

    “SHOW ME THE MONEY” what a great line!!!

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