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Will the 27 European countries manage to agree on the post-crisis recovery of the coronavirus? After four days of negotiations, no compromise could be found on the architecture of the EU plan, to the tune of 750 billion euros, Monday morning. The leaders of the member states are scheduled to meet again in the afternoon. Elsewhere in the world, new measures will come into force in Hong Kong, where the chief executive reports of a "critical" situation. In France, where the epidemic is also showing signs of recovery, the Prime Minister said not to exclude a further closure of the borders with Spain. Follow the situation live.
Information to remember:
- The 27 countries of the European Union have so far failed to agree on a post-crisis recovery plan
- Supporter of an ambitious plan, Emmanuel Macron "banged his fist on the table" on Sunday evening, while negotiations must resume in the afternoon
- Coronavirus infected more than 14 million people worldwide, killing more than 600,000
Towards the absence of a European agreement on the recovery plan?
Despite intense negotiations in the night from Sunday to Monday, no white smoke has escaped from Brussels, where the 27 countries of the European Union have been trying, since Friday, to agree on a common recovery plan , up to 750 billion euros. From the overall amount of the plan to the balance between loans and grants, through the control of the funds paid or a mechanism linking grants to respect for the rule of law in the beneficiary countries, the points of dissension persist. The two camps remain on their positions: on one side the Netherlands and their so-called "frugal" allies, who prefer loans to grants and advocate a reduction in the overall volume of the plan, and on the other the rest of the block, France and Germany in mind, refusing a compromise "at the cost of European ambition".
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Sunday evening, Emmanuel Macron "punched his fist on the table" to denounce the ill will, according to him, of some of his counterparts. The 27 leaders of the European Union are to meet again at 4 p.m. on Monday to try to reach an agreement, the spokesman for the European Council announced on Twitter.
Update
4pm is new timing for #EUCO plenary meeting https://t.co/nFMbwjQNv3
Vigilante, France looks in particular at Catalonia
In addition to these negotiations, most European countries are facing an increase in the number of "clusters" on their territory, several months after the lifting of strict containment measures. In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex said "to monitor very closely" the health situation in Catalonia, where the inhabitants of several zones are invited to stay at home, and has not excluded a new closure of the borders with Spain . In Barcelona, cinemas, theaters and nightclubs must close and meetings of more than ten people are prohibited, as are visits to retirement homes. The seating capacity in bars and restaurants was limited to 50%.
However, the situation continues to improve in Guyana, where a drop in the number of new cases was recorded this weekend. The positivity rate is also gradually decreasing, while nearly 5,000 tests were carried out last week in this French territory of South America.
Over 600,000 dead worldwide, situation worried in Hong Kong
Around the world, Covid-19, which has infected more than 14 million people, continues to spread. The pandemic has killed at least 601,822 people since the end of December, according to an assessment made Sunday by AFP. The number of deaths has doubled in just over two months and more than 100,000 deaths have been recorded in 21 days since June 28.
The United States remains the most affected country in terms of number of deaths and confirmed infections (140,120 deaths for 3.7 million cases), and has been experiencing an outbreak of infections in the south and west for several weeks. Next come Brazil (79,488 dead), the United Kingdom (45,273), Mexico (38,888) and Italy (35,042).
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In Hong Kong, where chief executive Carrie Lam reported on Sunday a "critical" situation with a record of more than 100 contaminations in 24 hours, new measures have been announced, including that of making the port compulsory masks in enclosed public spaces or the obligation to work from home for non-essential public service personnel.