Coronavirus: EU criticizes border closure disorder in Europe

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Faced with the extension of Covid-19 in Europe, more and more EU countries are taking restrictive measures: closure of schools in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg for example, temporary closures of non-essential businesses in Austria, Bulgaria and Belgium. Decisions that displease the European Commission.

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With our correspondent in Brussels , Pierre Benazet

Italy no longer allows vehicles to enter without justification, Germany carries out health checks at the French border, Slovenia and Hungary check people from Italy, Austria suspends air links with Switzerland, Spain and France. And Denmark announced this Friday the closing of the country's borders to foreigners from Saturday noon. In short, measures are multiplying across the European Union.

The measures go as far as border closings : the Czech Republic prohibits entry to people from fifteen European countries and Slovakia which closes its borders to everyone except the Poles. The dispersed measures are not only internal since several countries have decided to close or control their borders. These decisions displease the European Commission, which had already rebelled against the reinstatement of controls during the migrant crisis in 2015.

European Commission protests border closure

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, severely criticized this situation. She claims to have convinced France and Germany to seek coordinated and proportional measures in Europe, failing which they will be ineffective, will disturb citizens' lives, economic activity and the supply of medical supplies.

Checks and entry bans at the EU's external borders are possible, they say in Brussels, health checks at the internal borders of the Schengen area are possible, but closing the borders is contrary to the need of the moment. is to demonstrate true European solidarity.

EU releases € 37 billion to cushion coronavirus shock

The European Commission is setting up its lines of defense with the principle of doing everything possible so that the EU economy can withstand the major shock that the coronavirus has already started to inflict on economic activity.

There are two parts to this answer: first, a financial package of 37 billion euros for investments. These funds will generally be intended for all European companies considered to be the most vulnerable. Priority will be given to small and medium-sized enterprises, the health sector and the labor market. To support these funds, the Commission also proposes to guarantee loans to SMEs up to 8 billion euros.

The second part is what Ursula von der Leyen called " maximum flexibility " in relation to the rules. First for State aid where the strict European framework will be reduced to allow States to help companies in difficulty. Then the rules imposing to limit the public deficit will be ignored for all the public expenditure intended to compensate for the effects of the crisis. The Commission believes that EU states should be able to feel free to take all necessary measures without being hampered by European rules.

Macron wants to control or close the Schengen borders with certain areas

During a telephone interview with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the French Head of State proposed to further control the borders of and towards Schengen or even to prohibit access for certain countries at risk , very infected or about to be infected, said the Elysee.

Emmanuel Macron wants to " avoid uncoordinated measures " like those of countries that have decided to close or control their borders with several European countries, in violation of European rules, said the Elysee.

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• European Union
• Ursula von der Leyen
• Coronavirus

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