At what was certainly one of their last official joint press conferences as state leaders, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac said Friday their countries would continue to fight against those who would sacrifice social justice to bring economic changes to Europe, dpa reported. "We must change, but the changes must be just," Schroeder said in Paris after being warmly received at the Elysee Palace by Chirac and a French honour guard. "France and Germany believe that economic efficiency and social unity are the principal elements that make up the model of European society we hold dear and wish to preserve at all costs," the outgoing German chancellor said. "France and Germany will fight against all those who want to sacrifice this model of European society," Schroeder added, after citing the upcoming October 27 informal E.U. summit in Hampton Court, which he will be attending. Schroeder, who will leave his post in November to be replaced by Christian Democratic Union leader Angela Merkel, said he assumed that the new German government would emphasize this view since a great majority of German voters had expressed it during the September 18 general elections. --more 2216 Local Time 1916 GMT
