Day-long negotiations: This EU summit will leave scars

This summit will leave scars. It is before the end of the fourth day, the heads of state and heads of government still to agree on the Corona-reconstruction plan rings.

Hendrik Kafsack

economic correspondent in Brussels.

Werner Mussler

economic correspondent in Brussels.

In the night of Monday there has been a breakthrough to the amount of the grants to the States from the reconstruction plan. As the heads come back this afternoon together, it is the last of the great theme of the summit: to reduce the EU States that do not adhere to the EU Standards for the rule of law (Hungary, Poland), grants from the budget and the recovery plan?

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has threatened in the past few days several times with his Veto, should insist on the other, supported by Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have shown that they want an agreement, not on rule of law mechanism to fail.

The time is Orbán in the hands

it is the "saving five" States, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, but hold on to it. However, time plays Orbán in the hands. The longer the summit takes, the less is the appetite of the other, to leave him to the rule of law will fail.

the other open points come now, after three and a half days, on the table: the alone, 1.1 trillion Euro large regular EU budget for the years 2021 to 2027, to use also the target of 30 per cent of the spending of the reconstruction plan and the EU budget for climate protection, and the demand for new own resources for the EU.

The hours-long negotiations in large and small round, in the chamber of the Europe of Brussels is building and the roof terrace of the President of the Council, Charles Michel of the day and in the night, the participants have brought more than ever to the edge of their forces. This is one of them. Compromises will be forged not only at EU summits until all have thrown the proverbial gaze into the abyss.

But the tone has become personal, maybe too personal – and it applies particularly to the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Multiple Macron from Trouble strikes on the "saving seeds" and Rutte with the fist on the table. The behave like the former British Prime Minister David Cameron in the budget negotiations.