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08 July 2020Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in the European Parliament in Brussels for the plenary session on the priorities of the EU's six-monthly presidency of the Union. To welcome her the president of the Eurocamera David Sassoli. "We have to define priorities for the future together, I am waiting for my speech and discussion in the European Parliament," said the chancellor at the initial greeting press conference, together with the President of the European Parliament. "The European Council must first reach a result" on the Recovery Fund and "then we must work together with the European Parliament" said the chancellor before the start of the plenary. To "face the consequences" of the pandemic and "find the right answer" to the recession "we need an agreement on tools that are reliable for the multiannual financial framework".

"Priorities of the German presidency go in the right direction"
"Germany has understood the importance of European solidarity. This is why we are confident that under your leadership the Council will be able to respond to the challenges ahead of us. The priorities of the German presidency, which you will illustrate in Parliament shortly, they are going in the right direction "says Sassoli, welcoming the chancellor. "We are on the eve of important events that we cannot fail. Millions of European citizens who have suffered and continue to suffer from the serious economic and social consequences of the pandemic are looking at us. Nothing can return as before - reiterated Sassoli - but above all no one should be left alone in this tragedy. It is an opportunity for our institutions to return to being what they were born for: a common good of Europeans ".   

Then he continued: "For this reason, powerful instruments are about to be put in place: the multi-year budget and the Next Generation Fund to help reconstruction on new economic and social bases. For the Parliament, the European Commission proposal is not a point of arrival , but the minimum basis from which to start. We cannot and must not go back. We will fight for the success of this proposal with all the means at our disposal, "he concluded.