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As the economic crisis worsens, the European Parliament’s unity in EU budget negotiations is cracking.
With Europe facing a second coronavirus wave and the prospect of fresh lockdowns, a growing number of MEPs — especially socialists from Southern EU countries — have quietly abandoned their threat to withhold approval for the next seven-year budget unless there’s significantly more cash for certain programs.
EU leaders agreed on a €1.82 trillion budget and recovery package in July, but the Parliament responded by demanding concessions in four areas: more money for 15 budget programs including research and health; a binding calendar for new sources of income, a bigger role for MEPs in the planned €750 billion recovery fund; and a strong mechanism linking the distribution of EU funding to rule-of-law criteria.
But member countries have rejected the idea of pumping more money into the bloc’s coffers, and Hungary and Poland have threatened to block the recovery fund if a strong rule-of-law mechanism is introduced.
European Parliament President David Sassoli issued a statement Tuesday evening insisting the legislature is “united to get an ambitious deal” on the budget and recovery fund and related issues. But Sassoli also said the Parliament is “aware of the urgency of the situation.”
And with less than three months until the rescue package’s planned January 1 start date, some political groups are showing signs of backtracking on the Parliament’s original demands....