Macron+Merkel stance hints EU Recovery Deal=Feasible IF focused on Big Projects for Europe's Future

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Despite apparent Gaps (some say Division) on a Recovery Plan of probably about 1 Trillion € , considered by most as necessary to be added to a 500 Billions' Solidarity Agreement against the Virus, EU Leaders seem, in Fact, to be Near a Deal, judging by French President Macron and German Chancellor Merkel's main observations, as well as of those made by EU Commission and EU Council's Presidents von der Leyen and Michel, at the Conclusion of Today's Video-Conference Summit, particularly IF they Focus on Big Projects for Europe's Future.

The 1st Part (already Agreed) is expected to be Ready to Start from the Beginning of June, and it's Composed by 3 main elements : (a) the EIB would Back SMEs, (b) a new EU Regulation supporting Short-Time Work, and (c) the ESM would Fund Virus-related moves, withOut usual restrictions.

In Addition, the ECB has Already announced Recently several Exceptional Measures, on the Monetary side, that EU Leaders clearly Backed.

But, on the Contrary, for the 2nd Part, "there is Not a Consensus" yet, noted Macron, as many others, Pointing mainly at a Difference between those who want to Limit it just in "Loans" for "already InDempted Countries", as he regreted, and those who wish "Grants", (f.ex. by Money raised under Collective "Guarantee"). Indeed, Merkel and others have notoriously Refused "a Collectivisation of Debts", as she said. So that EU Commission was asked to Prepare a Compromise Draft, for Later on May.

Many Commentators were Too Fast to speak about a Risk of "Division", roughly between Southern and Northern EU Member States, (which, comming just After the BREXIT, and in the middle of a Deadly Virus' Pandemic, might Push the EU into a Major Crisis). Merkel acknowledged that, during the "Discussion", the points expressed by EU Leaders "were Not always Uniform", (mainly on the Point "Grants or Loans"), while Macron Warned that, if there is Not a Good Reply to that Question, then Europe Risks to have "No Future".

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Speaking at a Video-Press Conference in Brussels, EU Council's President Michel called for a "Balanced" Solution, while EU Commission's President von der Leyen, Already, suggested a kind of "Mix between Grants and Loans", (but Carefully pointed at forthcoming "Close Consultations with Member States").

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However, "Eurofora" is Firmly Convinced that, from what Macron and Merkel said at Press-Points in Paris and Berlin, immediately After that Video-Conferenced EU Summit, as well as elsewhere recently, it Clearly results that a Satisfatory and Efficient Solution can be really Found in order to Bridge the Core Franco-German and all EU main Positions, mainly by Focusing on Big, Ambitious and Far-Reaching, as well as Popular Big Projects on Europe's foreseable Future. :

- Indeed, Merkel clearly Stressed that it all "is very much also about Investing in the Future". And she Pointed, f.ex., at "Climate"-related moves, "Innovative Mobility", and "Digitalisation", while Adding the "Capacity to Act Strategically Together in Europe".  

- As for Macron, he Strongly Highlighted here his favorite idea for an EU "Strategic Autonomy" and "European Sovereignity", observing that EU Leaders feel the Need to really Back that Now, in Key Areas, f.ex. such as "Digitalisation, Ecology, Industry, etc", where "a Consensus is Emerging".

+ Both Also mentioned, in Addition, a need to "Stimulate" certain "Sectors" which Suffered Heavy "Damages" from the Virus' Crisis, such as "Tourism Industry", and "Cars' Trade", etc, as Merkel mentioned, by Funding "Seriously Affected Region(s)", and/or "Seriously Impacted Sector(s)" of Economy, as Macron highlighted.

- Indeed, "EU is an Overall Block : If you Let Down a Part of the Common Market, where the Most Productive Countries used to sell their Products, then, All of them will Losé", Macron Warned. Because Even Rich Countries depend on the Common Market to sell their Products to others, who must be able to buy them : So that, "Europe is One entity, if you Drop a Part of it, All of it Goes Away !". And Merkel, "very Clearly" stressed : -"A Common Answer is also in the German Interest, because we will only be well in the long run if Europe is well. We are Connected to All of Europe through Value-Chains; ... When these ...are Broken, we All have great Difficulties", she Warned.

++ Concerning EU Projects, Already, since EU's December 2019 Summit, Macron had launched a vibrant call for EU "High-Tech Projects", and an overall EU "Project able to create the Adhesion of our People", (endorsing a Key, long-time stance of "Eurofora" and other real Europeans : See Our NewsReport from Brussels, published then at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronmerkelforeuintegrationafterbrexit.html).

Now, one might, perhaps, understand the Problem expressed, f.ex., by an Austrian Politician, as well as Various Others, (f.ex. in the Netherlands, etc), by Complaining, in substance, that - "We canNot Pay Debts for Choices made by Italian (and/or Other) politicians"...

>>> But, What about, f.ex., an Active German Banker or Big Industry, eyeing an opportunity for an interesting Common Project, Jointly with Other EU Member States' Businesses, to Invest in an Ambitious and Promissing Project, meeting Vital EU Needs, able to Develop Europe and its Role in the World ?

- Macron has somewhat Eased, perhaps, things, by referring Now, f.ex., into Grants from an EU Recovery Fund or EU's Budget, after an Emmission covered by a Collective "Guarantee", and "under very Clear Rules and Governance accepted by All", as he stressed...

=> In Other Words : What about Inclusive, Attractive and Ambitious EU Projects of Common Interest, Able to Develop Europe and Boost its Role in the World, as well as Stimulate EU Citizens' Support ?

Wouldn't that Deserve, sometimes, perhaps, in all or part, a "Guarantee" to a Body as an EU "Recovery" or "ReVival" Fund, charged to Monitor such Big Projects according to the Best General Interest of the investors and Europe ?

>>> Here, it's Obviously Useful to refer to an Interesting Publication, made Earlier Today, at "Eurofora"s own Web Forum, by a most Faithful Poster, "GVK369", expressing mainly Ideas that "Eurofora" has, in substance, Formulated and Supported since a Long Time ago, which Deserves a FULL TEXT Citation (See : http://www.eurofora.net/forum/index.php?topic=942.0) :

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<< EU: Big Projects, Not just petty Logistics !..

« on: April 23, 2020, 08:13:08 PM »

EU Leaders should use this Post-BREXIT era's beginning in order to Boost New, Big, Inventive, Ambitious, and Popular European Projects, that they were Hindered to do Previously, particularly due to UK's earlier notorious reluctance, Instead of Only Delaying and Quarrelling about petty and sterile Money-Sharing issues, partly worsened by UK's departure, followed by the Virus, etc...

Such EU Projects, able to Mark the History of nowadays World, Attract Huge Popular Support, Stimulate the European Economy and Develop Science/Technology, could Spread accross a Large Spectrum of topical Possibilities :  

I.e. from Air-Space (f.ex. a Shuttle and/or other ReUsable Space Vehicle, a Space-Based "Early Warning System", Planets Exploration, Complete "Galileo", etc); Defense, (f.ex. Advance towards an EU Army, by developing EuroCorps etc, progressively Mutualise Army Spending/Procurements, set up a real EU Civil Protection Force against Natural and/or Man-made Hazards/Disasters, Create an EU Bio-Defense Force against any Hostile Bio-Warfare and/or Deadly Virus or other Pandemics, etc) ; Digitalisation (f.ex. a European SmartPhone, a New and independent Operating System, Key Softwares, Tele-Work in Rural Areas, etc) ; Transports (f.ex. a +600 km/h High Speed Train, PanEuropean High-Speed Rail Links, Ecologic Helico-Propulsed individual Air Vehicles, PanEuropean Rivers-Seas Networks for classic and modern Ships, etc); Agriculture (Food Independence, Quality, Safety and Health, Wood + Stones + Water Production, as well as Rural Spaces maintenance and/or Public use for Sport/Holidays/Exploration, etc) ; European History (f.ex. an Anthology with the Best Examples of Victorious Unity of many European Countries from Ancient Times to Nowadays, Collections of the most Brillant Ideas, Culture/Arts, Theories or Inventions created by Europeans, Europe's best role in the World, the most Brave Examples of European People's Resistance Facing various Threats, tragic Errors, Oppression, Aggressions, and their Struggle for Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights, etc) ; EU Citizens (f.ex. Boost Civic Participation in Public Decision-Making, popularise EU Civic Education, clarify and strengthen an EU Citizen Status making people feel Proud of being European, etc)...

=> In Most of these cases, the required Money will be Generated, in one way or another, and/or Attracted by a lot of such Big collective EU original Projects, able to Unite and Develop both the Interests, the enthousiasm and the Minds of all Europeans, (instead of Dividing by traping them inside narrow, petty Money-Sharing quarrels withOut Oxygen and Real Horizons)... >>

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+ "Eurofora" would Add ; - These are Just SOME among the much More and Better, Numerous and Various possible EU big Projects with Huge Potential nowadays, for the foreseable Future !

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("Draft-News")

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