The European Union and member states should negotiate an economic recovery plan to cope with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic at such a pace that would ensure it is in place by January 1, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2020) The European Union and member states should negotiate an economic recovery plan to cope with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic at such a pace that would ensure it is in place by January 1, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.
EU member states have been at loggerheads over how to organize the bloc's program of assistance for economic recovery from COVID-19. France and Germany have suggested setting up a 500 billion euro fund ($549) for subsidies to affected countries. While the heads of the commission and council have supported the plan, several countries � namely Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden � have rejected it, proposing instead that support be issued in the form of repayable loans.
"It is obvious that negotiations are going to be difficult, and we will not make a decision at the next EU Council. The goal should be to ensure that the national parliaments have enough time in the fall to discuss this, and that on January 1 it [the assistance program] can take effect," Merkel said at a press conference following talks with heads of eastern German states.
With regard to domestic assistance to German territories, Merkel said that they can count on the support of the Federal government. In Germany, local authorities were given the flexibility to each determine an appropriate response in their jurisdictions in coordination with Berlin.
"All mechanisms remain in effect. If some local health department is overloaded, the Bundeswehr [German Armed Forces, which include the Joint Medical Service unit] will be ready to help. There is a warning system which the federal states can use to report an overload and we will provide assistance," Merkel said.
The chancellor reiterated her opinion that the pandemic is only in its initial phase, as neither a vaccine nor therapeutics are yet available to eradicate it.
Merkel commended the way that the German authorities have so far been coping with the outbreak, but added that the federal government will continue "closely monitoring the situation in the regions in line with the common interest to battle the pandemic."
In particular, she said that the government reserved the right to order for common framework measures.
An example of such intervention was Berlin ordering the nation on Tuesday to continue social distancing regardless of the local situation until June 29.
