Weidmann urges France to live up to euro zone role model status
BERLIN (Reuters) - European Central Bank policymaker Jens Weidmann urged France on Thursday to live up to its responsibilities as one of the largest economies in the euro zone, saying the country had lost some of its competitiveness.
Weidmann said during the heated phase of the crisis the focus had been on the periphery members of the currency bloc and less on the reform situation in Germany and France.
"France is decisive for the euro zone," Weidmann said in a question and answer session after giving a speech.
"France has lost some of its competitiveness. I'd hope that France, as one of the largest countries in the euro zone, would live up to its position as a role model," he added.
(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum, writing by Eva Taylor)
