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“The magic of the European Union lies in the fact that it manages to find solutions, even if it is assumed that this is not possible,” said the Belgian after consultations with the heads of state and government. Nobody underestimates the seriousness of the situation. But there is the will to work very hard in the coming days to solve the difficulties.
Hungary and Poland had vetoed a central budget decision and plunged the community into a crisis. They run into a new clause to reduce funds in case of certain violations of the rule of law in host countries. With his No, the entire budget package of € 1.8 trillion is locked in for the next seven years for now. That includes € 750 billion in aid from the crown, which many EU countries urgently await.
Michel said he wanted to organize consultations in various formats in preparation for the December summit. The German presidency of the Council of the EU is responsible for the negotiations themselves. Merkel did not want to compromise whether a solution could be found by Christmas. “This is a very serious problem that we have to solve,” he said.
Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) adhered to “reforms and the rule of law” as the “basis” for the disbursement of EU funds. “Now a large amount of tax money is being used in the EU to an unprecedented extent. However, European money will only flow if reforms are implemented and the rule of law is observed,” he emphasized his position in the dispute. for the rule of law with Hungary and Poland. . He also spoke out against the commitments and in favor of precise control “on what the money will be spent.”
The new clause on the rule of law had already been agreed in principle in July when the heads of state and government tied the budget package at a five-day summit. But the formulation was very vague at the time. Hungary and Poland complain that the agreements at that time were not properly applied. The German Presidency of the Council negotiated the details with the European Parliament.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that at least 24 out of 27 countries did not want to fall short of the solution reached: Slovenia had recently shown sympathy for Poland and Hungary. Currently, the launch of Corona aid is not being discussed with an agreement among the willing states, excluding Poland and Hungary. That would be a “nuclear option,” Rutte said.
The bitter budget dispute overshadowed the real topic of the three-hour video conference: closer cooperation in the fight against the corona pandemic. Here all 27 states appear to be working together. The first vaccine could be approved in Europe as early as the second half of December, that’s what Merkel and the head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said, referring to information from the European Medicines Agency EMA.
EU countries are also seeking a common line in handling anti-crown measures around the Christmas and New Year holidays. There is a great willingness to coordinate, Merkel said. This also applies to the use of antigen tests, which vary greatly in quality. An evaluation by the EU Commission should allow mutual recognition of the results.
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