• Recovery Fund, Conte: with Macron agree on the need to hurry. Europe is at stake
  • Count: it's time for decisions, not for postponements. Italy must run. Recovery Fund is critical
  • EU, Conte: "Recovery fund by July, no downward compromise"
  • Recovery Fund. Rutte: subsidies under strict conditions

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17 July 2020The European Council starts today in Brussels. On the table the knot of EU funds for the post-Covid recovery. "Strong agreement" between Conte and Macron in the direction of an "ambitious" and immediate response.


 "The Italian national community has suffered and is suffering a lot but, in the interest of all European citizens, the Italian red line is that the response is adequate and that it is effective, concretely achievable" said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte , arriving in Brussels.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is less optimistic: "I have to say that the differences are very, very big, so I can't predict yet if we will achieve a result. It would be desirable, but we have to face reality. It really needs a lot of good will to find compromises on the part of everyone, if we want to get something good for Europe ", he continued, adding:" In this sense I expect very difficult negotiations ".


Aware of today's difficulties also the President of the European Council Michel: "Even if today's meeting will be complicated, I am convinced that agreement can be reached with political courage. We have worked hard to prepare this summit, I know it will be difficult: it is only about money but about people, about the future of Europe, about our unity ".

"We are facing a historic meeting because the situation we are experiencing is unprecedented," said Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Prime Minister, before the start of the EU summit in Brussels. What we are facing, adds the socialist politician, is "the most serious pandemic suffered by humanity in the last 100 years" and "as a consequence all the leaders of the Member States today and tomorrow are called to find a good agreement for our fellow citizens, who are suffering personally from the health, economic and social consequences of the pandemic. " This compromise must put in place "a recovery fund that must transform our economies by making them more resilient, green, digital, inclusive and that aim not only at territorial cohesion, but also social cohesion". "Spain - continues Sanchez - presents itself at this summit with the desire to reach an agreement by logically defending our national interests in agriculture, the governance of the Recovery Fund and on which policies it will have to focus (the fund)". Only "with a constructive spirit can we reach an agreement", he concluded.

Rutte: less than 50 percent chance of agreement

 "I estimate a less than 50% chance that we will find an agreement this weekend. Furthermore, in the end, content is more important than speed. A weak compromise will not move Europe forward." So the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, speaking to journalists before the Dutch Permanent Representation in Brussels, according to Politico.


"Today the summit of European countries on the proposal of the #NextGenerationEu Commission. Courage, ambition, unity. And a little luck # Friday17". Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for the Economy, writes this on Twitter shortly before the start of the Brussels European Council which will have to take decisions on the recovery fund.


"If we do the right thing we can overcome this crisis in a stronger way. All the necessary pieces are on the table and the solution is possible." The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said this when she arrived at the European Council. "The solution - added von der Leyen - is what EU citizens expect from us. It is our job". According to von der Leyen "the risk of a new wave of the pandemic remains and the whole world looks at us: it wonders how Europe will be able to remain united".