More than four days, 90 hours of negotiations of leaders of EU countries with privately and in groups, sleepless nights and days spent in endless debates and estimates his share of 1824,3 billion euros it took in order to come to a compromise regarding the future of the budget, which is supposed to approve unanimously. But once, when, in 2016, Britain, reputed to be the most recalcitrant country in the European Union, decided to leave it in the corridors of the European Commission said: “But now it will be easier to negotiate.”
But it turned out that the Union of different interests and different views on the future of the compromise can only be a screen behind which are hiding the many insoluble contradictions. For example, the European Parliament speaker David Sassòli made clear that MEPs do not approve the document, unless it is indicated that the country violates the basic principles of the EU, will not get all their money from European funds. It was a hint, above all, on Poland, which the Commission for that year claiming violations of the rule of law enshrined in article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. Charles and Michelle laid in the original project budget appropriate entry – hard and concrete.
But every day of the negotiations, the wording became more and more indistinct, and at the end of the document there are two phrases that the violator of the basic principles of the EU will take appropriate financial measures, and “the European Council will soon return to this issue.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference on Tuesday said that meant: “We have reinforced a fixed rule of law, a clear obligation to protect them. If the Board declares their violation, the decision will be taken by a qualified majority of votes.” She was echoed by the head of the European Council: “for the First time in the European history of respect for law and order will be the criterion when deciding on the allocation of budget money”. Differently it is understood the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “There is no direct connection between the legal government and budgetary funds”, – he announced solemnly.
the President of the Polish government and all his colleagues and senior European officials have told the media about the win – each on their own. However, starting Friday, all they had to gradually retreat from their initial positions. Presented on the first day of the summit project to support countries most affected by coronavirus, involves the allocation of 750 billion euros, including 500 in the form of grants, and only 250 billion in the form of loans. But the plan was met with stiff rejection of the “miser Quartet” – the Netherlands, Austria, Dan��and Sweden. Countries that pay the high contributions to the EU budget, was required to reduce grants and to provide control over expenditures of beneficiaries, such as Italy and Spain. “Stingy” the night tried to persuade German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of France Emmanuel macron.
According to the newspaper Politico, the tension was so great that reached not diplomatic skirmishes. For example, when the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz came out of the meeting room to answer a phone call, Makron got mad and slammed his fist on the table. Sources in the delegations said that he’d cry after Kurtz: “See? He doesn’t care! He doesn’t listen, negative. It works on my press and that’s that!” Later, the peaceful Austrian commented: “it is Clear that some people, when don’t get enough sleep, become nervous. We treat it with respect. And all ends well”.
Journalists of European media accredited in Brussels, agree that the compromise was only possible due to the position of Merkel, who sided with the “poor” that even the odds of the parties to the conflict. The outcome of these negotiations: 390 billion in subsidies and 360 in the form of concessional loans. These funds must be brought by the European Commission in the form of loans in the financial markets until the end of 2026. The maturity of the whole set covers the period until 31 December 2058 year.
as for the budget 2021-2027, it was sharply reduced spending on projects related to science, technology and innovation – from 13.5 to EUR 5 billion, although the speech at the summit was about “Europe’s new generation”, and it was planned that the European economy after the pandemic will not only restore but to upgrade. Despite the fact that 30 percent of the funds must be spent on climate financing, “Fund for equitable transformation”, which should reduce the dependence of European countries from coal to 2050, has been cut by 25 percent, that is 10 billion euros. Savings will also apply to agriculture: costs will be reduced two times, and investment – instead of the 30.3 billion they will allocate 5.6 billion.
But the main conclusion that can be after this historic summit among European countries there is no trust to each other. It is possible that, after Angela Merkel leaves office, calculated on the two day summits, will take weeks.
