Sarkozy pledges to stick to deficit-cutting plan

French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged today to stick to the country's deficit-cutting goals amid rising concerns it could be the next triple A-rated economy to suffer a ratings downgrade.

Some analysts have warned that France - the world's fifth-biggest economy and a driver of the eurozone - cannot afford to keep bailing out poorer European states especially at a time its growth rates are moderating.