Acrimonious European Union talks over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund entered a third day Sunday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel warning that the summit of 27 leaders could still end without a deal.
BRUSSELS -- Acrimonious European Union talks over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund entered a third day Sunday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel warning that the summit of 27 leaders could still end without a deal.
Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron walked out of heated talks late Saturday with a group of five so-called frugal nations led by the Netherlands pushing to limit the grants given to countries whose economies have been hardest hit by the pandemic and to impose strict conditions on how the money is spent.
"It is a decisive moment," said an EU official, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations were ongoing. Rutte and his small group of allies are pushing for labour market and pension reforms to be linked to EU handouts and a "brake" enabling EU nations to monitor and, if necessary, halt projects funded by the recovery fund.
"I don't know what is the personal reason for the Dutch prime minister to hate me or Hungary, but he's attacking so harshly and making very clear that because Hungary, in his opinion, does not respect the rule of law, must be punished financially," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
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