France’s Sarkozy threatened to pull out of euro-paper

MADRID, (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy slammed  his fist on the table and threatened to pull France out of the  euro at a meeting of European leaders deciding Greece’s aid  package last Friday, according to Spain’s El Pais newspaper.

The newspaper cited comments by Spanish Prime Minister Jose  Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to members of his party on Wednesday as  relayed by people present at that meeting.

A spokesman for the Spanish Prime Minister’s office  confirmed the meeting between Zapatero and other socialist party  members on Wednesday, but could not immediately confirm what was  said at the meeting.

Sarkozy demanded a “commitment from everyone to support  Greece…or France would reconsider its position in the euro,”  according to one source cited by El Pais.

Another source present at the meeting between Zapatero and  his party members and cited by the paper said: “Sarkozy ended up  banging his fist on the table and threatening to leave the  euro…This forced Angela Merkel to give in and reach an  agreement.”