Maximum coordination, so long as everyone looks out for himself - that could very well end up being the European answer to the ongoing financial crisis.

Officially, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy met Saturday to honour late French President Charles de Gaulle in his home town of Colombey-les-deux Eglises, 120 kilometres south-east of Paris.

When the topic of the financial crisis arose, they spoke in broad terms, avoiding specifics.

What is clear is that there will be no European bail-out fund, but some coordination for injections of capital into individual banks.

Merkel has been against the idea of a joint fund from the start, despite regular attacks on that position ... at times, even from Sarkozy. That's why it was necessary to show Franco-German harmony at Saturday's meeting.

It's possible that Merkel had more pressing business to attend to Saturday than to tour a museum honouring de Gaulle in France's Champagne region. But in the end, it was an excellent opportunity to recall the responsibility of the two countries and for their leaders to present a joint European answer to the crisis. After all, the day was to honor de Gaulle, who laid the foundations for Franco-German cooperation with former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

"When I meet today with the president, then it's a part of the tight, trusting cooperation between administrations seeking out their equals," said Merkel.

Since Sarkozy took office, cracks have appeared in Franco-German unity. There have been fights about Airbus and Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union, which Merkel viewed as a parallel structure to the European Union. Most recently, Sarkozy called Merkel "un- European" because of her opposition to a joint bail-out fund.

But when they meet, the two always manage to pull off a show of unity with neither losing face. Some say that is mostly attributable to Merkel and her diplomatic skill. The chancellor has been known to travel to Paris three times within a week, if need be.

For his part, Sarkozy seems to put less value on the exclusive relations between the countries. He has failed to accept personal invitations from Merkel to date.

The regular informal meetings between French and German heads of state and foreign ministers, a regular occurrence since 2001, have often been indefinitely delayed or combined with other events. But Sarkozy is also well aware that he needs German support if he wants to enact policy in Europe.

"Let us work together like Chancellor Adenauer and General de Gaulle, for the sake of both our peoples and Europe," said Sarkozy, liberally peppering his speech with references to "dear Angela."

"The two men had such different careers and characters, but they were united by the love for their respective homelands and the knowledge that they were shouldering an historic responsibility." saod Sarkozy, speaking about Adenauer and de Gaulle.

It almost seemed like he was talking about himself and Merkel.