Recovery Fund, too many conditions for Italy. Conte sees Macron

The extraordinary European Council of 17-18 July was the center of telephone conversations in the morning between Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, the Austrian Federal Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, and the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babis . In the afternoon, the prime minister also heard the Finnish premier Sanna Marin

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BRUSSELS – The Freudian slip with which Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte leaves Rome to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Brussels on the eve of the European summit of 17-18 July portrays the situation well. «I am leaving for Brussels – says Conte – we are sharpening … I was about to sharpen my weapons but it seems an improper metaphor, we are refining the reading of the dossiers for this final rush. We hope it is profitable ». The prime minister took home the simplification decree, a good viaticum to show the “frugal” countries that Italy really wants to make the reforms, but the Brussels match is even more complicated. The very future of Europe and the hegemonic ambitions that are intertwined between groups of countries and political families are at stake.

Conte repeats his “mantra”: “We must approve the Recovery Fund and the long-term Financial Framework as soon as possible, the new resources – he adds – will allow us to invest in infrastructure, digitalization and pursue the economic and social recovery of which our country he needs. Let’s face it hard, we work meticulously on the details, but let’s not lose sight of the perspective and the “political” vision that guides our action. It is a time of responsibility. ”The” frugal “countries are evaluating the details of the proposal by the President of the EU Council Charles Michel that meets their requests. But displeased countries like Italy that urge an agile and transparent instrument with little bureaucracy.

Conte hears Orban, Kurz, Babis and Marin
The extraordinary European Council of 17-18 July was at the center of telephone conversations held in the morning by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte with the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, with the Austrian Federal Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, and with the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babis. The prime minister also heard, in the afternoon, the Finnish premier Sanna Marin.

Too many conditions for Italy
Italy does not like the excessive shifting of decisions by the Council to the Commission, the obligation to spend 70% of the subsidies in 2021 and the remaining 30% conditional on the worsening of GDP data. Even the president of the ECB Christine Lagarde does not hide the need for the countries that will benefit from the grants to demonstrate progress on the path of reform. «We take for granted that the Recovery and Resilience Fund will arrive – says Lagarde – and that it will be a strong mix of non-repayable transfers and loans, the first to a greater extent. My feeling is that a large number of European leaders are aware of how important it is not to waste time and that they will want to signal to investors and to the world that there will be an ambitious, fast and flexible agreement ». But for Lagarde above all “the fund must be deeply anchored to solid structural policies”.

Enrico Letta: a second summit would not be a disaster
For the ex premier Enrico Letta there is 50% of the chances that a new council is needed and “it would certainly not be a disaster if we had to wait for a final council to fix things”. Donald Tusk, president of the European People’s Party (PPE) appeals to the fundamental values ​​of Europe, but in his family there are also the Hungarian premier Viktor Orban leader of the Visegrad and the Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, one of the frugal countries, which oppose the strong resistance to the allocation of aid from the Recovery fund. For the president of the socialist group Iraxte Garcia “it is the hour of truth. The time has come for leaders meeting at the European Council to show courage and ambition. The decision cannot be postponed for long, and as socialists and democrats we ask that the recovery plan be ambitious. The European Commission proposal is the least we can accept – he adds -, we need grants, not loans “.

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