11.   In Paris the franc remained firm against the mark because of optimism on long-term interest-rate markets and despite the attack by Hans Tietmeyer on creative accounting.

12.   And in Washington the president of the Bundesbank Hans Tietmeyer lent support with a statement that the franc remained among strong currencies.

13.   But the French franc remained weak and appeared vulnerable to strains within the European exchange rate mechanism despite the easing of upward pressure on the mark.

14.   But most analysts said that they expected the franc to remain firm for the moment.

15.   The president of the Bundesbank, Hans Tietmeyer, said in Washington on Monday that the franc remained among strong currencies because the French economy was fundamentally strong.

16.   The Swiss franc remained weak against the mark and dollar.

17.   Sterling and the lira, pulled down by the dollar, eased against the mark, while the French franc remained firm.

18.   That is despite the fact that the Belgian franc will remain legal tender in parallel with the euro until the end of February.

19.   The French franc remained buoyant against the German mark on foreign exchange markets Friday despite a crippling public sector strike and a drop in demand for manufactured goods.

20.   The French franc remained especially fragile, affected by widespread uncertainty about public finance in France.