Head of EU executive worried by Europe's widening north-south divide, calls for solidarity
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A top European Union official says he's worried by a widening gap between the continent's financially troubled countries — mostly in the south — and the more prosperous ones to the north as a result of the debt crisis.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the Portuguese head of the EU's executive Commission, said during a visit to Austria on Thursday that countries that are doing well "should show solidarity to the others."
Bailing out the 17-nation eurozone's strugglers hasn't been popular in richer countries such as Austria. Meanwhile, many in southern Europe resent the tough conditions imposed in exchange for aid.
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Barroso said that "there is a widening gap between what we usually call the north and the south because of the crisis."
He called it "a serious matter of concern."