France Gets More Time to Meet E.U. Budget Rules (Greek Revolt Turns Tide?)

``The European Commission said it was recommending that France be given what amounted to a two-year extension to cut its deficit, which is expected to come in at around 4.1 percent of gross domestic product this year and next, well above the 3 percent ceiling for the bloc. The commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is charged with signing off on member states' budgets to ensure they comply with Union rules. The commission also said it would not recommend that Italy, Finland and Belgium be punished, despite their failure to meet deficit goals, owing to "account key relevant factors," including the weak economic picture. ''