And in France, Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne says railway sector reforms are "necessary" and "must be completed". Borne spoke after a major railway strike brought France's famed high-speed trains to a halt on Tuesday.

The minister insisted that similar reforms have been carried out in other neighbouring countries and stressed that France's national rail authority will remain a public company. The strike left passengers stranded and posed the biggest test so far for President Emmanuel Macron's economic strategy. The national rail authority says just about 12 percent of trains were running Tuesday, in the first of a series of strikes set to last three months. Rail workers are protesting government plans to eliminate job protections. The reform is part of Macron's broader plans to make France more globally competitive.