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EU leaders emerged from a marathon four-day and four-night summit Tuesday to celebrate what they boasted was a historic rescue plan for economies left shattered by the coronavirus epidemic, according to AFP.
The 750-billion-euro ($858-billion) deal was sealed after intense negotiations that saw a threats of a French walkout and a Hungarian veto — and fierce opposition from the Netherlands and Austria to what they said was too generous a package.
“These were of course, difficult negotiations in very difficult times for all Europeans,” said EU Council Chief Charles Michel, whose job was to guide the tortuous talks over more than 90 hours.
The package was made possible by the crucial backing of Germany and France and includes the biggest ever joint borrowing by the 27 members of the bloc, something that had been resisted by Berlin and the so-called “frugal” northern states for generations.
The deal is a special victory for French President Emmanuel Macron who came to office in 2017 committed to strengthen the European Union, but had struggled to deliver. “This is a historic change for Europe,” Macron told reporters in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said Europe had shown itself equal to “The greatest crisis in the history of the European Union.
” But there was criticism from some that the compromises made to get the deal were too great, with teenage climate campaigner Greta Thunberg tweeting her disappointment.
“As expected the #EUCO resulted in some nice words, some vague distant incomplete climate targets nearly impossible to track and a complete denial of the climate emergency,” she tweeted.
