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"A return to economic growth and a reduction in unemployment figures are our sole compass", the French prime minister said in a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel. "We will use everything at our disposal to achieve the goal of restoring growth."
The French government recently announced plans to grant companies €20 billion in annual tax credits to lower labour costs - an attempt to encourage companies to start hiring.
The government in Berlin is reportedly wary of French economic policy since the left-leaning government of François Hollande came to power in May this year, with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble reportedly asking his advisors to draft policy suggestions for Paris. Schäuble, who also met with Ayrault, said that Germany and France did not "grade" each other's policies.