Eurozone (Stephanie Jones/Creative Commons).

French President Francois Hollande met with Italy’s new Prime Minister Enrico Letta - days after he took office - in Paris, and said that austerity alone was “no longer enough.” The leaders also said the continent risked social unrest if leaders failed to come up with effective ways to alleviate high unemployment and stalled growth, The Wall Street Journal reported.

From The Wall Street Journal: 

"If there isn't a concrete perception that Europe stands for opportunity, development and well-being, it will have a big democratic problem," Mr. Letta said in a joint news conference with Mr. Hollande, after the two men held talks for more than an hour.

"In the end, the electorate will rebel against wicked stepmother Europe," Mr. Letta added.

Hollande, meanwhile, said that "what is at stake is not only the European concept but political stability in our respective countries."

According to the AFP, the comments come as divisions over how the eurozone should tackle its debt crisis deepen.

Read more of Neon Tommy’s coverage on the eurozone here.

Reach Executive Producer Agnus Dei Farrant here.