During this week's summit, both Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Finland's Sanna Marin have openly questioned the benefit of bringing the EU countries' heads of state and government together in one place.
- This meeting should have been held as a web meeting, Frederiksen told Danish journalists in Brussels on Thursday.
Corona's situation was even more pronounced when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quickly forced to leave the meeting to quarantine herself, for security reasons, after one of her staff tested positive for covid-19.
Going home
The same thing is happening to Marin.
The Finn was present at a meeting in her home country earlier this week, where one of the participants now tested positive for covid-19.
As a result, the Prime Minister has today left the summit and asked Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven to represent Finland at the end of the meeting.
The Prime Minister will immediately return home, where she will be tested.
Afterwards, she will go to Villa Bjälbo (the Prime Minister's residence) for voluntary quarantine ", a statement from the Finnish Government Offices announced.
Necessary?
Löfven (S) still thinks that it has been right for the EU leaders to meet.
- You must have some meetings physically, because you have to see each other and be able to discuss.
But then all security measures must also be taken, Löfven says at a short press conference with Swedish journalists in Brussels on Friday.
He believes that the issues discussed - including the Brexit situation and the climate - have made it necessary to hold a physical meeting.
- Answer: yes, says the Prime Minister.