Berlin hits out at ‘crass’ UK strategy

Article reports comments made in a magazine interview by Germany’s Finance Minister, Peer Steinbrück, in which he launched a stinging attack on the 'crass Keynesianism' pursued by the United Kingdom in its fiscal stimulus package.

Commentators saw his comments as expressing his irritation of efforts by UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to construct a coalition to put pressure on Germany to follow suit. His comments were also seeen as intended for domestic consumption.

Vox.eu, 1.1.09: The IMF on fiscal policy in the crisis http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/2743

Spiegel Online International, 11.12.08: EU Ire with Germany Spills into the Open http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,595848,00.html

Deutsche Welle, 11.12.08: German FM criticises Britain's economic policies http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_3865131,00.html

BBC News, 10.12.08: German ridicule for UK policies http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7776462.stm

BBC News, 11.12.08: Brown shrugs off German attacks http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7776962.stm

Deutsche Welle, 11.12.08: Britain, Germany Trade Criticisms in Growing Financial Row http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3866223,00.html

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