• Negotiation.Laya, the government changes its position in the EU: Spain will accept the conditionality of aid
  • Reconstruction: why (part of) Europe does not trust Spain
  • Spain.The six 'bodyguards' who watch over Pedro Sánchez's steps at the summit

The initial proposal was 500,000 million euros in direct transfers , aid that will not count in the public accounts, in the deficit and the debt of those who receive them. During the weekend, it was proposed to lower them to 450,000 million, and convert the difference into credits, for a total amount still of 750,000 million euros. It didn't work. On Sunday there was much speculation, perhaps 400,000 was talked about, but the figure is still intolerable for the self-proclaimed frugal. And at dawn, with the sun already rising in Brussels, the leaders went to the hotels to rest with a new amount to evaluate: 390,000 million euros in transfers.

Can Spain or Italy, the countries most affected by the economic crisis generated by the pandemic, accept it? Can the Swedish and Dutch accept it, those who continue defending that not a single euro is necessary in subsidies and that with cheap credits it is enough? Will France and Germany, the drivers of the down payment, allow it? It will depend on the waist of all the blocks that today Monday , after four consecutive days of European Summit, there is an agreement. And there seems to be a will.

Sunday was a strange day in Brussels. The great Summits are always unknown, they are not subject to rules and corsets, but the European Councils tend to follow an agenda, a rundown, reasonably predictable. And when the format is completely altered, interpreting the rhythms, the positions and the possibilities of agreement is much more complicated. "Things are moving in the right direction towards the agreement," said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. But there were too many doubts.

The President of the European Council, the Belgian Charles Michel, used a new system this weekend. In February, at the last face-to-face Summit, he was wrong. He left his 27 colleagues awake overnight organizing one bilateral after the other. It went wrong, irritated many and the meeting failed. This time, he has done something different: start more or less early in the morning, encourage many face-to-face, but interrupt around 23.00, so that the leaders rest and the technicians work in the shade . Until yesterday.

On Sunday the meeting should have resumed around noon, but the 27 did not sit at the table until after 7:00 pm, for dinner. And they didn't move until almost seven in the morning . This time, however, it did not go wrong, because from the infinite bilaterals and meetings in small groups came ideas, texts, proposals, drafts of all subjects flew, and that served.

What is striking is that it was so, because for a good part of the day the sensations were terrible. The incoming signals spoke of increasingly ugly crashes. Reproaches, irritation and attacks from all sides for the Dutch Mark Rutte and his frugal allies. The Bulgarian, the Hungarian, the Lithuanian, the Italian, all attacked him openly and without cutting. And he didn't flinch.

Knives and dirty games were flying , trying to use the press. The Austrians and some others told the media in their country that among their colleagues there were those who were "selling the principles of Europe", so as not to pressure Hungary and Poland on the issue of linking the disbursement of money to compliance with the rule of law. . And from the Council and some delegations the fire was returned, reiterating that the frugal were isolated and lied and manipulated to wash their image.

The stakes were for the breakup, for stopping the Council, sending everyone home, and looking for new dates. Some deputies even announced that everything had ended without understanding. But the 27 endured , and the mood, first thing in the morning, was completely different. "Positive spirit for a deal"; Emmanuel Macron said upon arrival Monday. "We have a framework," said Chancellor Angela Merkel. "The feeling is that after a very difficult negotiation and several compromises, we are moving towards an agreement," added Croatian Plenkovic.

"These days, Spain has maintained a constructive position with a clear objective: to reach an agreement. By carrying out an exercise in dialogue, listen, speak with all the leaders, especially with the countries less receptive to transfers. There are no more governments or less pro-European, we all have our perspective of how the answer should be, "said Spanish Pedro Sánchez, lowering his tone and not aligning with Italian Conte, who accused the frugal of being against the European institutions and the project on the eve.

"Dialogue, empathy, determination, responsibility. We need this agreement, and hopefully in the next few hours," added the president, turning the other cheek and asking his fiercest rivals these days that they, too, put themselves in his shoes.

Conditions and vetoes

The issue of transfers is clearly the most difficult, but not the only one. There are dozens of issues that are still unresolved , and those of others depend on the decision on one. For example, conditionality to approve reform plans and disbursement of funds. Rutte explained this Monday that the latest draft that has been distributed on the so-called "emergency brake" mechanism makes her "very happy" because it is vital for her country. It is a matter of a single government being able to temporarily halt the approval of the National Reform Plan of another if it considers that it is insufficient or that the Commission is being too lax.

With the idea being considered, that country would activate the 'emergency brake' and it would be the ministers or the heads of state and government themselves who would have to unlock it. In principle it would not be a formal veto, because unanimity would not be required between ministers or leaders, but it could delay the approval and disbursement process, which in theory will force all capitals to present demanding programs. And nothing is closed.

Outstanding issues

It is also pending to fix the exact size of the EU Budget for 2021-2027 , which the Council suggests to be 1,074 trillion but the austere are trying to reduce it to at least 1,050 trillion. The items of the CAP or Cohesion, if the Recovery Fund ends up being 750,000 with more credits than expected or is also lowered to around 700,000, as Finland has proposed with a certain reception. Not to mention the amount of compensatory checks for some of the net taxpayers.

And there remains, of course, the ratification factor . The European Parliament is the great excluded at this stage. Its approval is necessary, and the deputies have passed several resolutions demanding ambition, that there be many transfers. Hypothetically they could stop a sane one that they did not like, but among the leaders the truth is that no fear is detected. Some refer to the institution, appealing for more size and firepower, but not many expect that it can actually block ratification.

Despite the words of its president, David Sassoli, who this same Monday returned to harangue: "The European Parliament has established its priorities and hopes that they will be met . The Multiannual Financial Framework must have the necessary instruments to ensure that the EU It is capable of meeting medium-term challenges such as the Green Deal, digitization, economic recovery and the fight against inequalities. "New own resources are urgently needed. We also need measures that guarantee an effective defense of the rule of law. Furthermore, Parliament has repeatedly called for an end to the refunds. If these conditions are not met, the European Parliament will not give its consent, "he recalled.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

See links of interest

  • Last News
  • Programming
  • English translator
  • Work calendar
  • Daily horoscope
  • Santander League Ranking
  • League calendar
  • TV Movies
  • Cut notes 2019
  • Themes
  • Alavés - Barcelona, ​​live
  • Alavés - Barcelona
  • Real Valladolid - Real Betis
  • Villarreal - Eibar
  • The fight for Europe and the descent, live