06/02/2017 (Agence Europe) – On a trip to Brussels on Monday 6 February, the French Prime Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve stressed that his country would keep its commitment to bring its government deficit below the 3% of GDP mark in 2017, against a backdrop of a presidential campaign in full swing in France. From 5.1% of GDP in 2012 to 3.3% in 2016, the deficit will be below 3.0% in 2017, he said. This is the condition for the EU to reorientate itself towards greater growth, he added, stressing that private investments of more than €1 billion were made in French start-ups in 2016. Cazeneuve expressed his support for the European Commission's approach to the revision of the 'posted workers' directive, which “needs to go the distance” (see EUROPE 11713). Workers must not see Europe as a collective enterprise that undermines their interests, said the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. (MB)