Europe Media Monitor (EMM) reads and analyses around 40.000 new news items per day. Part of this analysis extracts entities and entity related information from clusters of stories.The selection and placement of stories are determined automatically by a computer program. This site is a joint project of DG-JRC and DG-COMM. The information on this site is subject to a disclaimer (see http://europa.eu/geninfo/legal_notices_en.htm). Please acknowledge EMM when (re)using this material.http://emm.newsexplorer.eu/NewsExplorer/entities/en/328.htmlenhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/gavinhewitt/2010/07/the_weakening_of_sarkozy.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/gavinhewitt/2010/07/the_weakening_of_sarkozy.htmlIt may be that the scandal swirling around French President Nicolas Sarkozy is unmasked and shown to be little more than smear and innuendo. Even so, damage will have been done. There seems to be a slow weakening to President Sarkozy's authority. The maestro of bold action has, of late, seemed indecisive.Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0200bbc-fff477f59edeeb2d7aceead9c4c9aae7bbcenhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/df17e3cc-6e4a-11df-ab79-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/df17e3cc-6e4a-11df-ab79-00144feabdc0.html&_i_referer=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/df17e3cc-6e4a-11df-ab79-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/df17e3cc-6e4a-11df-ab79-00144feabdc0.html&_i_referer=By Gerrit Wiesmann in Berlin and James Wilson in Frankfurt Published: June 2 2010 15:47 | Last updated: June 2 2010 19:18 The German government made good on Wednesday on a pledge to crack down on financial speculators by agreeing to block the speculative “naked” short-selling of German stocks and eurozone sovereign bonds.Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0200ft-35f27e1601b6f2fea5035a196cf1c3e1ftenhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1280374/The-death-euro-Britains-hubristic-leaders-blame-argues-Britains-ambassador-Bonn.html?ITO=1490http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1280374/The-death-euro-Britains-hubristic-leaders-blame-argues-Britains-ambassador-Bonn.html?ITO=1490Although only 16 out of 27 member-states of the EU have replaced their old currencies with the euro, monetary union lies at the heart of the European project. Only yesterday, Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel, told her parliament that 'if the euro fails, then Europe too will fail'.Sat, 22 May 2010 00:00:00 +0200dailymail-fd50229fd0bc139d2fbfb245db12a380dailymailenhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7079473.ecehttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7079473.eceA few weeks ago, Newsweek called her “Slow-Motion Merkel”. The magazine sniffed that she didn’t “want the job” of leading Europe. Well, Angela Merkel just took it, pretty much dictating to the rest of the EU how to deal with the let’s-spend-like-there-is-no-tomorrow Greeks, whose fiscal chickens have finally come home to roost.Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200sundaytimes-5b70a91b546c8c656feb9d2df08de13asundaytimesenhttp://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61M27R20100223http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61M27R20100223* Fitch cuts Greece's four top lenders to 'BBB' * Says outlook negative * Fiscal tightening to weigh on asset quality, earnings (Adds Fitch downgrade of covered bonds) ATHENS/NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Fitch Ratings on Tuesday downgraded the ratings of Greece's four largest banks on expectations....Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100phantis-081b0a8c97a26943a2f56c32fe8f33eaphantisenhttp://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61K06P20100221?type=marketsNewshttp://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61K06P20100221?type=marketsNewsATHENS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Greece's fiscal problems must be solved within the euro zone rather than with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said in an interview published in a Greek newspaper on Sunday. Asked if it might be more effective for Greece to....Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100phantis-17eceb9a0be50ad03f560b5d8c290350phantisen