European Union leaders have given themselves a deadline of two weeks to agree a deal to tackle the eurozone debt crisis, a grand bargain senior officials said would include a final decision on Greece’s bail-out and a strategy to recapitalise the region’s banks.
Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council president, said EU leaders would meet on October 23 to “finalise our comprehensive strategy”, allowing them to present a plan at the G20 summit on November 3-4.
The eurozone has come under pressure from Washington and London to get to grips with its sovereign debt crisis by early next month or risk plunging the global economy into turmoil.