In testimony before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament on 10 September, Wim Duisenberg of the European Central Bank resisted calls to lower interest rates and blamed political leaders for weak growth even as the European Union's head office slashed its economic forecast for 2003 yet again. Duisenberg also lashed out at France although not by name for flouting EU rules on budget deficits as it struggles to spur its own sluggish economy.

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