European leaders hunkered down on Friday for two days of tortuous negotiations to thrash out the terms of a huge post-coronavirus economic rescue plan. There is stern resistance from a group of richer and smaller nations led by the Netherlands and Austria that are loath to hand out cash to countries such as Spain or Italy they see as too lax with public spending. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel turned 66 on Friday and as she and her colleagues began this first in-person summit since February, they gave her gifts and exchanged elbow bumps instead of handshakes.
European leaders hunkered down on Friday for two days of tortuous negotiations to thrash out the terms of a huge post-coronavirus economic rescue plan. There is stern resistance from a group of richer and smaller nations led by the Netherlands and Austria that are loath to hand out cash to countries such as Spain or Italy they see as too lax with public spending. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel turned 66 on Friday and as she and her colleagues began this first in-person summit since February, they gave her gifts and exchanged elbow bumps instead of handshakes.