Emmanuel Macron, in favor of "Corona loans" in the face of "reluctance" from Berlin, calls for European budgetary solidarity. Nine European countries, including France and Italy, had called on Wednesday to launch a loan common to all the European Union to face the coronavirus, putting pressure on Germany, opposed to any mutualization of debts.

"We will not overcome this crisis without strong European solidarity, in terms of health and budget," said the French head of state in an interview with the newspapers Corriere de la Serra, La Stampa and La Repubblica.

"Does the EU and the euro zone boil down to a very flexible monetary institution and set of rules that allow each state to act on its own? Or do we act together to finance our spending, our needs in this vital crisis? ", questions Emmanuel Macron.

"The amount is secondary"

"It can be a common debt capacity, whatever its name, or an increase in the EU budget to allow real support for the countries most affected by this crisis", a- he detailed. "The amount is secondary, it is this signal that counts, through the common debt or the common budget," he added. Faced with the "reluctance" of countries like Germany, "we cannot let go of this fight," insisted the President of the Republic.

Asked about a possible French delay in containment measures at a time when the situation was deteriorating in Italy, Emmanuel Macron said: "We have absolutely not ignored these signals. I approached this crisis seriously and seriously from the start , when it started in China. "

In particular "because Italy preceded us in this crisis", "we took the hardest measures in France as soon as possible (...) in a number of comparable cases", he argued, questioned on his exit to the theater on March 6, 11 days before the containment measures.

Do not allow yourself to be "intoxicated"

"I followed three essential principles at each stage: base our decisions on scientific advice, adapt to the evolution of the crisis, take proportionate measures," explained Emmanuel Macron.

The French president also assured Italy of his support in the face of the coronavirus epidemic and called for not to be "intoxicated" by the story of certain countries which have widely communicated their aid to the Italian authorities.

"France is alongside Italy", the epicenter of the epidemic in Europe with more than 9,000 deaths to date, said the head of state. "We talk a lot about Chinese or Russian aid, but why don't we say that France and Germany have delivered two million masks and tens of thousands of smocks to Italy?", He continued. , also recalling the launch of the European group purchasing markets for masks and respirators.

With AFP and Reuters

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