Mr. Sarkozy replied that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was already taking brave action.
By Greek standards Mr Papandreou has been courageous, but he should have been braver still.
The good news for Mr Papandreou is that, so far, his approval ratings have held up.
George Papandreou, the Greek Prime Minister, has just played a blindingly good political hand.
But he has struggled to win Mr Papandreou's confidence and he may not keep it.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said it put Greek debt on a sustainable basis.
If the Papandreou government continues on its austerity kamikaze mission, it will eventually fall.
The first is that Mr Papandreou must secure backing for a detailed reform programme.
ECONOMIST: The streets of Athens are in the grip of an ugly mood
In the view of Mr Papandreou, the future will be determined by the people.
Their optimism seemed justified as Greek premier George Papandreou dropped the idea of holding a referendum.
An ambitious constitutional lawyer, he is keen to succeed Mr Papandreou as Pasok leader.
Might he one day become the third Papandreou to become prime minister of Greece?
Even some people close to George Papandreou believe default is better than years of austerity.
In truth, the euro zone's rescue was coming unstuck even before Mr Papandreou's blow.
So, Mr Papandreou must have wondered, why not turn to the people for support?
Yet, in his previous post, Mr Papandreou sought better Greek ties with both countries.
George Papandreou, opening a debate on a vote of confidence, has called for "national accord".
On Tuesday President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said Mr Papandreou's decision "surprised all of Europe".
BBC: Greek cabinet backs George Papandreou's referendum plan
Nor is it especially comforting that Mr Papandreou's government could tumble before a referendum.
George Papandreou, the opposition Pasok leader, urged the prime minister to resign and call a general election.
This may be why George Papandreou, the prime minister, has told his cabinet to speed up reforms.
It may well be that Mr Papandreou has chosen the referendum option to save his own skin.
The surprise referendum called by Papandreou just raised the stakes for the G-20 this Thursday and Friday.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou rolled the dice, but he may prove to be the big loser.
Let's not forget Samaras is the person who pushed out Greece's then-prime minister George Papandreou last year.
The Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, flies off to meetings to learn the terms of his surrender.
Mr Papandreou had shrugged off earlier warnings from Brussels (and Berlin) that more had to be done.
Mr Papandreou was supremely skilled at exploiting Greeks' lingering sense that they are one of history's victims.
The name continues in Greek politics: Mr Papandreou put his own (rather decent) son in his cabinet.
It was the kind of publicity that George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, could have done without.
ECONOMIST: A tense mood in Greece ahead of high-stakes local elections
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