The EU is preparing to take on large-scale debt together for the first time. She wants to support states that were hit particularly hard by the Corona crisis. Italy receives the largest share; like Spain and France, it benefits disproportionately from the non-repayment grants from the reconstruction fund. The aid money should actually be used primarily for future projects such as digitization and climate protection. But with the new EU funding source, the member states will have more leeway in future to reallocate their national budgets according to political priorities.