common destiny. in this case, the strong countries would have to help the weak ones. should france and germany help greece? trichet : i repeat solemnly : we – the 330 million citizens of the euro area – share a common destiny. in a monetary union, the ties between the individual member countries are indeed extremely close. the external surpluses of some member countries ( in the balance of payments ) finance the external deficits of some others, and the constellation can change over time. we all share a credible currency, which is an immense advantage. at the same time, all countries owe it to their partners in the euro area to behave responsibly and correct their imbalances. focus : this problem will become even bigger if other countries – such as bulgaria or romania – introduce the euro. trichet : other european union countries are indeed committed to joining the euro area. but only when the time is right. as you know, there are strict criteria governing the introduction of the euro, and these must be met in full. and they have to be met not just at a particular moment in time, but on a sustainable basis. the ecb is and will remain extremely vigilant in this respect. focus : but what if new member countries doctor their figures – as greece did – and trick their way into the euro area? trichet : let me be very clear on this. never again will we accept budget figures that do not reflect the facts. appropriate auditing must always be possible. as early as next month the european commission will make proposals that will dramatically improve the relevant framework. this is absolutely critical. focus : your job and the crisis are both very demanding. do you have the opportunity at all to see colleagues outside of work? trichet : yes, certainly. and that ’ s important, too, as the high level of mutual trust that exists within the ecb, between the members of the executive board and the governing council, is in my view absolutely fundamental. focus : is frankfurt a good location for meetings outside of your official schedule? trichet : i think so. you have in this city and this region a combination of excellent cultural opportunities – both in music and in the visual arts – and a cosmopolitan milieu which is very cultivated. focus : you come from paris. is frankfurt not too provincial? trichet : you will not be surprised if i tell you that paris is unique! focus : and frankfurt? trichet : when i arrived, i found

some knowledge of the german language has enabled me to better understand the culture of the country. oversimplifying, i would say that the french and english languages seem to be very much designed to “ communicate ”. my understanding of the german language is that it is very much designed to “ think ”, with its verbs at the end of the sentence. i am not surprised that it is such a good language for philosophy. focus : are you trying to say that germans are not as good at small talk? trichet : not at all! i just want to say that the german language itself is particularly well suited to reflection. in speeches, for example, speakers let the audience think along with them. only at the end of a sentence is the audience able to understand exactly what is actually meant. this is why it is pretty unacceptable for people in the audience to whisper during a speech.