“European recovery plan: lasting recovery?”

7/22/2020, 4:00:39 PM

The Figaro editorial, by Jacques-Olivier Martin.United in diversity… Europe has never carried its motto so well. After more than 90 hours of tight negotiations, fists on the table, slamming doors, smirks hidden behind masks, the Twenty-Seven have therefore agreed on a vast economic recovery plan. Emmanuel Macron, who is with Angela Merkel the architect of this project, described it as historic. It is true that the countries of the European Unio...

United in diversity… Europe has never carried its motto so well. After more than 90 hours of tight negotiations, fists on the table, slamming doors, smirks hidden behind masks, the Twenty-Seven have therefore agreed on a vast economic recovery plan. Emmanuel Macron, who is with Angela Merkel the architect of this project, described it as historic. It is true that the countries of the European Union have agreed to borrow together 750 billion euros, redistributed to members in the form of credits, but above all in subsidies, no less than 390 billion euros.

An unprecedented gesture, obtained not without difficulty. The "frugal" of Amsterdam, Vienna or Copenhagen have long been reluctant to let billions unconditionally slip away to countries of the South, France included, which have never shown great aptitude for serious budgetary matters. In the end, the ants therefore showed themselves to be lenders, and as such deserve to be praised, and not criticized in the name