European Union leaders acknowledged Friday they are about as far apart from reaching a deal on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro (US$2.1 trillion) EU budget and virus recovery fund as the seating distance imposed upon them for health reasons at their summit centre.
"The differences are still very, very big and so I can't predict whether we will achieve a result this time," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she arrived at the Europa summit site. "So I expect very, very difficult negotiations."
The urgency is such that the leaders have ended a string of coronavirus-enforced videoconference summits and are meeting in person for the first time since the pandemic began its devastating sweep around the globe. Since the pandemic struck, she is seen as a safe pair of hands to lead her country through the crisis and now that Germany holds the rotating six-month EU presidency her stature will be even greater at the summit. And throw in that she is celebrating her 66th birthday on Friday.
It sent the EU into a panic as it was at a loss on how to co-ordinate policies of its member states early on. Now, the EU's executive is proposing a 750-billion-euro recovery fund, partly based on common borrowing, to be sent as loans and grants to the most needy countries.
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