ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Among the 27 European leaders gathered at the Europa Building in Brussels, the discussion on the recovery fund and the long-term EU budget lasts less than half an hour. Everything was decided yesterday by Angela Merkel, current EU president, and the governments of Hungary and Poland. The compromise, which in fact suspends the regulation that binds European funds to respect for the rule of law, lands on the table of the European Council and is approved without amendments. Thus the veto placed by Viktor Orban and his Polish ally Mateusz Morawiecki is overcome. Unlocked 1,800 billion euros, the sum between the 2021-27 budget and the ‘Next Generation Eu’, an anti-crisis bazooka from covid-19. But for the disbursement of the money it will be necessary to wait for the ratifications of the national parliaments: a process that is not exactly obvious, on which the EU can no longer than a moral suasion. It depends on the Member States.
Suffice it to say that for ‘Sure’, the instrument launched in spring by the European Commission to support unemployment, it took 4 months for the ratifications of the 27 national parliaments of the EU. At this rate, the recovery fund will not be operational in January, despite the agreement tonight.
Special note: Holland, where politics is voted in March, a country that has never well digested the idea of accruing a common European debt (albeit one-off) in order to send huge resources to the countries of the south, including the Italy with its 209 billion euros. In the Netherlands, the recovery fund remains a thorn in Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s electoral campaign, who obtained an increase in discounts on contributions to the EU budget, the reason for his yes tonight. But on the rule of law the head of the Dutch government does not come out well.
Rutte has always been the most persistent in demanding that the disbursement of funds be conditional on respect for the rule of law, a matter that is deeply felt in Dutch public opinion as in all Nordic countries, including Germany. At the summit, the premier of The Hague comes up with three requests.
First, he wants to be sure that Merkel’s compromise with the two eastern countries also goes well with the European Parliament, an institution that has waged a fierce battle over the rule of law, managing to get it to become a condition for having EU money. On this there is the approval of President David Sassoli, convinced that this is “the moment to take decisions, not to postpone them”.
But Rutte does not check the most crucial point. The agreement reached provides that Hungary and Poland can take advantage of European funds even if they violate the rule of law. In fact, the conditionality, much invoked and obtained by the European Parliament, is ‘suspended’ from tonight’s summit. In case of violations, the resources would be blocked only after a ruling by the European Court of Justice, following an appeal that Budapest and Warsaw have already announced. It usually takes the Court at least a year to deliver a judgment. It goes without saying that next year Orban and Morawiecki will be able to continue to have money from the EU without having to give an account of respect for rights.
Here, Rutte asked that this mechanism be at least retroactive: if the sentence confirms the violations, the money paid must be returned. But the Dutch premier doesn’t get that either. “It would be like neutralizing the suspension”, a European source tells us, in fact admitting that conditionality on the rule of law exists and does not exist: for now, it is suspended. There is not.
Rutte only manages to obtain that, after the summit tonight, the European Council’s legal service will express an opinion on the legal soundness of the whole plant. Meager victory. Orban and Morawiecki toast for having dodged the attack on their way of governing, with discrimination against minorities, non-governmental media, LGBTQ communities.
The leaders most interested in European funds rejoice. Starting with the Italian premier Giuseppe Conte who, besieged in Italy by his own majority of Italia Viva and Pd, finds a sigh of relief in Brussels with tonight’s agreement. And also the Minister of Economy Roberto Gualtieri.
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Final agreement on #NextGenerationEU. This means being able to unlock the huge resources destined for Italy: 209 billion. The multi-year report was also approved. Now full speed ahead with the implementation phase: we just have to run! #EuCo
– Giuseppe Conte (@GiuseppeConteIT) December 10, 2020
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Today two excellent news from Europe: the agreement #EUCO on the #NextGenerationEu and the European budget and the decision of the #Bce to strengthen the pandemic emergency securities purchase program. A strong, united and supportive Europe, an extraordinary and unique opportunity for Italy
– Roberto Gualtieri (@gualtierieurope) December 10, 2020
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Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni celebrates yet another achievement by Chancellor Merkel.
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I had no doubt. Eventually the vetoes on #NextGenerationEU have been overcome. A success for the Commission, the Parliament and the EU Council. The signature is from Angela #Merkel
– Paolo Gentiloni (@PaoloGentiloni) December 10, 2020
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Ursula von der Leyen also praises the result of the German presidency.
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Europe is moving forward!
Accord #EUCO on the European budget and #NextGenerationEU.
€ 1,800 billion to support the recovery and build a greener, more robust and digital Europe.
Well done to the German Council Presidency @EU2020DE !
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 10, 2020
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Merkel manages to close the German presidency semester successfully. It was not taken for granted. Europe is moving forward in defining the anti-crisis economic instruments from covid. But in the relationship with the eastern countries there is not a step forward. The ‘Merkelian’ compromise wins, perhaps the only way to keep the EU united. At what price?
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