(Newswire.net— July 21, 2020) — EU leaders have struck a deal on a huge post-coronavirus recovery package following a marathon of exhausting four-day talks, the BBC reports. However, the atmosphere was not so friendly, media reports.
French media report on the change of mood of President Emanuel Macron at the EU summit in Brussels, and the criticizing of countries that oppose the proposed plan for the economic revival of the European Union. At one point he “hit the table with his fist”, media reports.
EU leaders gathered on Friday for a two-day summit to reach an agreement on economic recovery following the struggles many countries were facing after the pandemic lockdowns. However, negotiations were still going on on Sunday, and such a situation visibly irritated Macron, who “hit the table with his fist” which is a serious diplomatic incident on a high-level meeting such as this one.
An unnamed member of the French delegation stated that Macron was dissatisfied with the position of the countries that oppose the plan, primarily on the so-called “frugal”, which consists of the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Austria. Macron is also dissatisfied with the position of Finland, the fifth frugal member, which is reserved according to the German-French proposal.
According to sources close to the summit, Macron also criticized the behavior of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who got up in the middle of the meeting to answer the phone. It is added that Kurz was offended by Macron’s criticism.
Other delegations at the summit also criticized Macron’s behavior, although the French delegation insists that it is all “a bit blown out of proportions”.
French media, including TF1 television, which had access to the backstage of the negotiations in Brussels, reported that the first “physical summit” of the EU leaders is only seemingly in a friendly atmosphere, because “there are sparks” at the meetings.
European Union leaders resumed the summit in Brussels on Sunday, extended by one day, as they have not yet reached a compromise on the Union’s budget and the required fund for recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
All countries agree that they should help, but richer countries, including the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark, are demanding strict controls on spending money.
The agreement was finally reached on the bloc’s next seven-year budget, worth about $ 1.26 trillion (€1.1tn).