Storm of protest over euro-only summit
Political leaders who don't yet have the euro in their pockets were queuing up to pour scorn on the idea, labelling it a waste of time and a further pointless addition to the weighty EU bureaucracy that goes with any economic reform.
Przemysław Kwiecień, an adviser to Polish Finance Minister Mirosław Gronicki, complains that Poland is already shut out of meetings of eurozone Finance Ministers, let alone summits.
"It is in every country's interest to be part of a decision-making process that has the potential to have some significant impact," he said.
Daniel Gros of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies, an ardent advocate of EU integration, is unimpressed by France's suggestion.
"It has always been a mystery to me what is supposed to be achieved by this and how the French would react to any recommendation to them resulting from such a meeting," he says. Critics say other countries legitimately question the motives of a country with a reputation for launching pan-European initiatives and ignoring the rules they produce.
However, the public outcry was not without its silent partners. Germany and Greece were saying nothing, and the European Central Bank refused to comment.
Jacques Cailloux of JP Morgan in London, also says the idea makes "plenty of sense" but that it is fraught with difficulty, not least because Poland does not see why it should be shut out.
"It is difficult to see a group of euro members discussing things that might impact future members without including them in the discussions," he says. (Reuters)
