on their Arrival in the summit building in Brussels, the current President of the Council of the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, all the hopes, missed a damper, the third day of the special EU summit could bring the breakthrough. “If it comes to a solution, I can not say as before,” said Angela Merkel, with a hint of a sheepish Smile on the Red carpet standing.
The lines of conflict around the construction Fund for the Corona shook the economy and the seven years of EU were processed in the household “well,” said the Chancellor. “There are a lot of good will. But there are also many positions. And so I will work with it. But it may also be that there is today no result.” A further extension of the since Friday continued session marathons of castle, Angela Merkel, more or less. The third summit day, today, Sunday, was the key.
The usual Demands of journalists to the arriving participants in the summit were not possible. To Corona, to exclude infections, are not journalists approved at this first physical special summit in the building. So, it is relatively hard to come by, what in the meeting rooms of the EU grandees actually expires. Also, the size of the delegations was evaporated. The heads of state and government may only take six instead of the usual 20 employees, to be able to better keep their distance.
volume and distribution> still controversial <p, The European Union had undertaken to put together a financial package of a total of 1.8 trillion euros, to address the consequences of the Corona pandemic. The EU Commission is expecting the worst recession and the highest unemployment rates in the history of the EU. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had urged it from the beginning: The world is looking at Europe and see whether the EU would be able to jointly get out of the crisis.
The permanent Chairman of the summit round, Charles Michel, together with Angela Merkel a third compromise proposal, in order to bring the different positions together. The so-called efficient States – so more more to net-payers in the budget request, to reduce the volume of subsidies in the build-up Fund. To the previous “Thrifty Four”(the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria), joined now also officially Finland. These five States only want to put 300 billion euros instead of the previously planned 500 billion euros on the table.
The recipient countries of Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, and others reject this as an imposition. Italian media on Sunday morning as an “attack on Italy.” The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday, the dispute is mainly with the Netherlands was not yet solved. You need a clear and strong response in the fight against the economic crisis.
dispute, there is also the question of how the use of the funds will be monitored. The Netherlands are calling for a veto, if Italy wants to Finance specific projects. Premier Conte rejects. It is the maximum amount of controls that would decide a majority of the members of the EU. A veto is not out of the question.
Hungary, Poland and Slovenia to fight back against the attempt to associate the observance of the rule of law with the disbursement of funds from the EU budget. Many member States had supported, in order to stop the Erosion of the legal state in Poland and Hungary, so to speak, on the purse. At this point, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is threatening to Veto the entire bill ion package. At the end of all of the EU must approve member States, the development Fund and the budget unanimously.
Futile efforts
In the night, German Chancellor Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron had tried, according to the actual summit at a hotel bar with the economical Five into the conversation. Before more formal mediation failed talks. The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, who is on the top of his Position a little abandoned, reported, Merkel, and Macron had offended the conciliation talks and to be stopped early.
The French President Macron gave at the beginning of the third summit of the day, a little more confident than the Chancellor. Yes, a compromise is possible, said Macron when Entering the Europe-building, but “we have to sacrifice our European ambitions”. Macron had always stressed the historical Dimension of this special summit. It was the hour of truth for Europe. “We need Unity,” he said.
Europe policy expert, Olaf Böhnke said the DW, another special summit at the end of July is likely to be. The differences are in the Moment, too big.
author: Bernd Riegert
*The post “EU summit: Merkel wants today published a decision” is from Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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