BBC News with David Austin

The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said it was an error to admit Greece into the euro in 2001. Mr Sarkozy told French television that Greece shouldn't have been allowed to join the eurozone because, in his words, its economic figures were false. But he added that he did trust the current Greek leadership. From Paris, Christian Fraser.

He is the most unpopular president of the Fifth Republic and must hope that last night's success in Brussels goes some way to convincing a sceptical French public that he is the man to steer the French economy to safety. For over an hour, he tried to explain to the French people -and perhaps the rest of Europe looking on - the severity of the crisis, the course they will follow in the coming weeks. Greece was, of course, the main focus of the interview. The French banks have huge exposure to Greek debt. In truth the country should never have been allowed to join the eurozone, he said. "Their numbers were wrong; they weren't ready, but it will be saved," he said, "thanks to the decisions taken in Brussels."