The Franco-German tandem declared itself as the driving and life-giving force of Europe. Bundescanzlerin Merkel and President Macron, following the results of the remote negotiations, remotely issued a joint statement on the reconstruction of the European economy after the infection and the crisis.
The reconstruction project is to raise a fund of € 500 billion, which will be financed by borrowing on behalf of the EU. The money will go to the aid of the countries, regions and sectors of the economy that suffered the greatest losses during quarantine. The new fund may become an addition to the general EU budget for 2021–2027, and the money allocated from it will take the form of EU budget subsidies. Repayment of debt to financial institutions will be carried out by all EU countries on a parity basis.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already welcomed the decision of Berlin and Paris, calling it “one of the three pillars of EU economic recovery.” “These programs will survive the crisis and launch a large-scale investment program that is necessary to return the European economy to the rails,” said von der Lajen.
To return the economy to the rails is a bold image, because if it is not on the rails now, then, obviously, it’s under the slope. But anyone can report, and so the EC showed full approval and support for the initiatives of the European locomotive, which has not yet gone off the rails. However, it would be strange for a former member of the Merkel’s cabinet not to approve the undertaking of Frau Chancellor. "Our honor is our loyalty."
In addition, huge plans are now very useful for the EU, since it will help (at least in Brussels they hope so) to forget the worst moments of the epidemic, when the rescue of drowning people was tacitly declared a matter of drowning themselves, and wolves somewhere in Brussels structures and why let's go. The reconstruction period will help get rid of these unpleasant memories, for mastering a trillion is a living and tasty thing.
Of course, the reconstruction will take place under the auspices of the Franco-German Entente (Paris and Berlin are hoping for this), and Brussels will be as an allied center at the last phase of the existence of the USSR, that is, it will be left with the right to approve - and nothing more. But better than nothing.
The EU is so demoralized that it is ready to agree with everything, if only to stay on the surface. Moreover, something will go over to the governing bodies.
And everything would be good and good, when there were no dissidents, moreover, unexpected ones. Not Britain - they have already got rid of it - and not Poland - it trumped its special relations with America, but now the USA is not up to it.
Instead of the tried and tested Trojan horses, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark performed. More precisely, Austria alone spoke, but referring to the northern brothers, and they did not mind.
Austrian Chancellor Kurtz said: "We will show solidarity and support the countries most affected by the coronavirus, but this process should be implemented through loans, not subsidies." That is, solidarity is solidarity, but money apart. The Macron-Merkel model, in which the EU gives subsidies, and everyone pays for it, was opposed to the model where loans are given (possibly, preferential), but they will have to be paid for in a general manner. Second-tier European donors do not like the idea that France and Germany with a nominal EU will steer everyone, they will also collect political profits, and smaller donors will only have to pay and be humble.
Will anyone pay anything at all, the question is complex. The current crisis is like a big war, when money is spent without an account, and what will happen afterwards will be seen later. But Vienna does not agree with this.
At other times, it would be possible to brush aside the Austro-dissidentism and then squeeze it. As, for example, the EU regularly presses out dissidents on the issue of sanctions against Russia.
However, now the union center is very weak, a parade of sovereignty has begun and it is much more difficult to force faithful allies to something, in particular to hit the wallet. Here you can ask M.S. Gorbachev, how he renewed the USSR in 1990-1991 and what the Union republics did with the center.
The renewed European Union of sovereign states is also a team with which the devil will break his leg.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the publisher.