Recovery: Still stalemate in the EU. Von der Leyen: 'We need agreement quickly'

BRUSSELS - On the rule of law, the EU does not retreat an inch and the stalemate on Recovery remains.

The videoconference of the leaders, as it was expected, did not unblock Poland and Hungary's veto on the 1,800 billion euro economic package with which the nationalist governments of Mateusz Morawiecki and Viktor Orban are holding the future of Europe hostage.

But the message that emerged loud and clear, through the mouth of Prime Minister Charles Michel, is that the Union is not willing to compromise on respect for the rule of law.

A milestone in the negotiation that will start again tomorrow, under the direction of the German presidency, in search of a way out to free the 2021-2027 Budget and the Recovery Fund from the blackmail of the two countries recalcitrant in the face of the clause that links the disbursement of funds to respect for the fundamental rules of democracy.

"Hungary and Poland vetoed the Recovery Fund decision and made it clear that they cannot accept the rule of law conditionality. This means that we cannot send the proposal to the EU Parliament," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the end. of the videoconference between EU leaders.

"I do not want to speculate on how the issue with Hungary and Poland will be resolved, we must continue to work and explore all possible options," Merkel said.

"We are still at the beginning of the question".

"In July we found an agreement and we need the whole package to receive the green light, we must move forward", said the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at the end of the EU summit.

"The European Commission supports the agreement found in the negotiations, and for me it is also important for the future to have a budget" with the rule of law mechanism - he added - we must find a solution, millions of citizens are waiting for an answer in this crisis without and therefore we continue to work hard to reach an agreement as soon as possible ".