Sarkozy's Threat

April 2, Thursday

PARIS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to walk out of the G20 summit and said on Wednesday he would not accept a compromise at the London summit if the final communiqué did not come up to his expectations, and especially if it failed to call for stricter regulation on tax havens.
On Tuesday he told aides: If things don't advance in London, there will be an empty chair. I'll get up and leave. And though Mr. Sarkozy did not explicitly repeat this threat on Wednesday he quite bluntly said he wouldnot agree to an unpalatable compromise.
Mr. Sarkozy said the draft of the final communiqué as it was circulating did not meet the expectations of either France or Germany. Though discussions were going forward, no joint position of the participating countries had been established. As things stand at the moment, these projects do not suit France or Germany, said Mr. Sarkozy.
The French President's threats were brushed aside by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a joint press conference with U.S. President Barrack Obama. I am sure President Sarkozy will be with us not just for the meetings but also this evening for dinner, said Mr. Brown.