2012.06.07 10:54:29 French President: Global Econ Needs Stability As Well As Growth

By William Horobin French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that more stability is needed in the global economy as well as growth. Mr. Hollande, who came to power in May on a pledge to champion growth as well as fiscal discipline to overcome the economic crisis, was speaking after a meeting in Paris with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. "We must have more growth but to have more growth we must also have more stability," Mr. Hollande said. The two leaders will meet again next week in Mexico for a summit of the world's twenty leading economies, where the need for stability and growth will be discussed, Mr. Hollande said. Before his trip to Europe, Mr. Harper said in a television interview that the euro zone is running out of time to solve its crisis and endangering the global economy in the process. The Canadian leader said Europe mustn't wait for the results of the Greek elections before detailing its longer term plans. Greek conservatives only have a slight lead in the polls over the anti-austerity Syriza party ahead of the country's fresh round of elections on June 17. Syriza has said it wouldn't adhere to the terms of Greece's bailout, a move that would put the country at risk of default and an exit from the euro. After the meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Hollande said it is up to the Greek people to decide, although it also concerns Europeans. "Europeans should work together to provide a medium-term-framework to determine what relations should be [with Greece] because we are together in solidarity," Hollande said. Write to William Horobin at william.horobin@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 07, 2012 04:54 ET (08:54 GMT)