Europe needed something on the scale that Paulson was asking for in the United States. Suddenly, Berlin sprang to life. There must be no talk of joint bailouts, Steinbrück announced. Merkel let it be known that she would not attend the summit in Paris if it was labeled a crisis meeting. As if to bind herself, the chancellor gave an interview to the popular tabloid Bild-Zeitung, soon to become notorious for its nationalist coverage of the crisis, denouncing any blank check for bankers.
