webfact Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 EU leaders take 'last steps' for recovery deal after days of squabbling By Jan Strupczewski and Robin Emmott Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, France's President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel look into documents during the first face-to-face EU summit since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium July 20, 2020. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders appeared to be nearing agreement on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-blighted economies on Monday after the chairman of their fractious four-day summit presented a new proposal to bridge gaps between them. EU Council President Charles Michel said he was confident the compromises he had offered the 27 leaders could be the basis for a deal on the 750 billion euro recovery fund that many say is critical to dispel doubts about the bloc's very future. "I know that the last steps are always the most difficult but ... I am convinced that an agreement is possible," he told reporters before heading back to the leaders. Slow to coordinate their initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic and already weakened by Britain's departure from the bloc, a deal on the economic aid would demonstrate to eurosceptics that it can step up to a crisis and remain united. "It has been a long summit and a challenging summit but the prize is worth negotiating for," Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said as the Brussels summit dragged into its fourth day - approaching the record length set at a 2000 meeting in the French city of Nice. European nations have done a better job of containing the coronavirus than the United States after a devastating early few months that hit Italy and Spain particularly hard, collaborating on medical, travel and economic fronts. The European Central Bank has pumped unparalleled money into economies to keep them going while the EU capitals hammer out their recovery fund. Signs emerged that leaders of northern European Union countries were willing to compromise on a 1.8 billion euro ($2 billion) coronavirus stimulus plan on Monday as talks in Brussels extended to a fourth day. Ciara Lee reports 2020-07-20T101608Z_1_LOV000M42351H_RTRMADV_STREAM-2000-16X9-MP4_EU-SUMMIT.MP4 Diplomats said it remained uncertain that the leaders could put aside the rancour that stood in the way of a compromise over hours of haggling through the weekend. Emotions ran high at a dinner the previous evening as a group of fiscally frugal northern nations led by the Netherlands stood their ground on the level of free grants within a proposed special recovery fund of 750 billion euros overall. "STINGY EGOTISTS" French President Emmanuel Macron lost patience in the early hours of Monday, banging his fist on the table in frustration at "sterile blockages" by the "frugals", two diplomats said. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also railed against the "frugals", branding them "a group of stingy, egotistic states that look at things very narrowly through the prism of their own interests". Poland would be a top beneficiary of the recovery package, receiving tens of billions of euros in grants and cheap loans, along with high-debt Mediterranean-rim countries that have taken the brunt of the pandemic in Europe. Despite the continued rhetorical skirmishing, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel sounded optimistic that there could be accord on the stimulus package and, linked to it, the EU's 2021-2027 common budget of around 1.1 trillion euros. Hopes for a deal to help address Europe's deepest recession since World War Two sent Italy's borrowing costs to their lowest since early March and pushed the euro to a 19-week high. Michel proposed that within the 750 billion euro recovery fund, 390 billion should be non-repayable grants, down from 500 billion originally proposed, and the rest in repayable loans. His document, seen by Reuters, also envisages that national plans to spend money would have to be approved by a qualified majority of EU governments. The Netherlands had pushed for a veto on aid for countries that backslide on economic reform. Disbursement would also be linked to governments observing the rule of law. Hungary, backed by eurosceptic ally Poland, has threatened to veto the package if funds are made conditional on upholding democracy. (Additional reporting by Kate Abnett and Yun Chee Foo in Brussels, and by Reuters bureaus across Europe; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Hugh Lawson) -- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-21 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLS Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 What a patriot! Macron is wearing a mask with the French flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melvinmelvin Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 6 minutes ago, CLS said: What a patriot! Macron is wearing a mask with the French flag. same same the IS representatives, wearing black masks . . . 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bartender100 Posted July 20, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 20, 2020 The can't be many people left in the UK that really think the EU is a good idea after what we have been seeing, well maybe these two 3 1 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post robblok Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 What i read in the Dutch press is that the Dutch get a higher rebate on payments and can keep more of the taxes. That is why we shifted a bit plus more rules for the countries that take the loans. So they have to change. As for the Brits who say its good to be out of the EU i can partly understand but for the expats its bad as the difference between euro and pound is getting less and less. 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyF Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 It's good to see the likes of Mark Rutte standing up to the wealth sharing project that the EU seems to be intent on. Why should the frugal nations continually bail out the likes of Greece, Poland and Hungary? It was supposed to be a trading bloc not a federalist transfer of wealth dominated by France and Germany. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nauseus Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 4 hours ago, bartender100 said: The can't be many people left in the UK that really think the EU is a good idea after what we have been seeing, well maybe these two Were her enormous allowances as compensation for having to put up with Neil? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nauseus Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 "Last steps" sound ominous? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollyhangmon Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 4 hours ago, JonnyF said: It's good to see the likes of Mark Rutte standing up to the wealth sharing project that the EU seems to be intent on. Why should the frugal nations continually bail out the likes of Greece, Poland and Hungary? It was supposed to be a trading bloc not a federalist transfer of wealth dominated by France and Germany. ... easier said than done, just visited a polish website and now my damn mouse cursor is gone ...!! () 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 7by7 Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 11 hours ago, bartender100 said: The can't be many people left in the UK that really think the EU is a good idea after what we have been seeing, well maybe these two Similar to Farage's £91,000 p.a. salary as an MEP. Not to mention his expenses and £150,000 post Brexit transitional allowance. He will also receive his MEP pension Of course, he did have to pay some of his expenses back after being caught fiddling them! So what is your point? 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovesundaysatspace Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 It’s good that we Europeans are helping each other. It’s disappointing that we still don’t have enough balls to punish the Eastern-European populists and enemies of democracy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vogie Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 1 minute ago, welovesundaysatspace said: It’s good that we Europeans are helping each other. It’s disappointing that we still don’t have enough balls to punish the Eastern-European populists and enemies of democracy. It's better news the UK has saved 80 billion. Kerching. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bartender100 Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 45 minutes ago, 7by7 said: Similar to Farage's £91,000 p.a. salary as an MEP. Not to mention his expenses and £150,000 post Brexit transitional allowance. He will also receive his MEP pension Of course, he did have to pay some of his expenses back after being caught fiddling them! So what is your point? Farage earned every penny of his money, if not for him we would still be in EU paying them millions, cheers Nigel and thanks, Knighthood needed for you 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vogie Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 5 minutes ago, bartender100 said: Farage earned every penny of his money, if not for him we would still be in EU paying them millions, cheers Nigel and thanks, Knighthood needed for you Exactly, and a statue, I know a plinth going spare. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 13 hours ago, CLS said: What a patriot! Macron is wearing a mask with the French flag. It also has a small Tricolour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 7by7 Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 50 minutes ago, bartender100 said: Farage earned every penny of his money, if not for him we would still be in EU paying them millions, cheers Nigel and thanks, Knighthood needed for you Farage had one of the worst attendance records of any MEP. How is that earning his money? He also had to pay back a large proportion of his expenses after being caught fiddling them How is that earning his money? 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hotandsticky Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 14 minutes ago, 7by7 said: Farage had one of the worst attendance records of any MEP. How is that earning his money? He also had to pay back a large proportion of his expenses after being caught fiddling them How is that earning his money? BREXIT would not have happened without him. He was therefore worth every Euro the EU paid him. Fiddling expenses is a badge of honour in the EU. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliss Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 14 hours ago, bartender100 said: The can't be many people left in the UK that really think the EU is a good idea after what we have been seeing, well maybe these two Makes a change , from having Tories , with their snout in the trough .. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nauseus Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 38 minutes ago, elliss said: Makes a change , from having Tories , with their snout in the trough .. Not at all, political failures like Kinnock have been at it for years inside the EU. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nauseus Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 1 hour ago, 7by7 said: Farage had one of the worst attendance records of any MEP. How is that earning his money? He also had to pay back a large proportion of his expenses after being caught fiddling them How is that earning his money? What expenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post elliss Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, nauseus said: Not at all, political failures like Kinnock have been at it for years inside the EU. Of course, Nigel Farage , is also included in the Political failures , snout in trough list .. Edited July 21, 2020 by elliss 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nauseus Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 1 minute ago, elliss said: You mean , Nigel Farage ... No I mean all of the Eurosponges that collect the serious money. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rookiescot Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 Nope do not believe this. I have it on good authority from many Brexiteers that the EU is in meltdown and will collapse any second now. OK any second now. What the hell is wrong with them they are supposed to be collapsing. OK now. Wait a second. I think I have been duped by these cunning Brexiteers into believing something about the EU which is absolutely not true. 2 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanuk711 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 2 hours ago, 7by7 said: Farage had one of the worst attendance records of any MEP. How is that earning his money? He should have been there---working hard like his fellow MPs in London.................................... 650 MPs elected 32 turned up this day.........I think 5 stayed awake....of course they all collected their pay-packet 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herfiehandbag Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 (edited) 20 minutes ago, sanuk711 said: He should have been there---working hard like his fellow MPs in London.................................... 650 MPs elected 32 turned up this day.........I think 5 stayed awake....of course they all collected their pay-packet Now, now, now. I think you will find that they have their heads pressed against the speakers in the upholstery, so as not to miss the post perandial nuances of the debate! Edited July 21, 2020 by herfiehandbag 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herfiehandbag Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 16 hours ago, CLS said: What a patriot! Macron is wearing a mask with the French flag. Probably made in Germany! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herfiehandbag Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 17 hours ago, webfact said: EU leaders take 'last steps' for recovery deal after days of squabbling By Jan Strupczewski and Robin Emmott "Alles klar, meine freunden, we bail the Greeks out again jah? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opl Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 (edited) 18 hours ago, CLS said: What a patriot! Macron is wearing a mask with the French flag. Macron wears 100% "Made in France" reusable mask., just like when he visited a school I see no reason to criticize him for supporting and promoting french manufacturing, therefore french jobs. Edited July 21, 2020 by Opl 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nauseus Posted July 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2020 2 hours ago, herfiehandbag said: Now, now, now. I think you will find that they have their heads pressed against the speakers in the upholstery, so as not to miss the post perandial nuances of the debate! This is the Lords. Not our diligent and conscientious Commons. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew65 Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Is this 'loans' or 'grants'? Can be added to the 1 trillion Euros of Target 2 debt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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