Spanish Prime Minister in Berlin
"Very swift" results are what Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are hoping to achieve on the EU finances for the period up to 2027 and on the COVID-19 recovery fund. The two leaders met in Berlin only a few days before the Special European Council meeting.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Chancellor Angela Merkel deep in discussion
Photo: Bundesregierung/Bergmann
We must act now in order to "get Europe back on course for growth, address the serious economic damage, and of course to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Chancellor Angela Merkel before her meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Investing in the future
At the same time, we must invest in the future, in particular in digitalisation and climate action, said the Chancellor. This will be the crucial factor in "whether we will be economically successful or not" over the next few years.
With a view to the Special European Council meeting on Friday and Saturday, the Chancellor stressed that there are still very divergent views among EU member states. The German side will be travelling to Brussels "with a certain readiness to compromise", she reported, but pointed out that one thing is painfully obvious – "Time is short."
The Special European Council meeting on 17 and 18 July is to focus on the multiannual financial framework and the recovery instrument. It is the first time the European Council has met in person in Brussels since February.