The leaders of Spain and Italy called on Wednesday for a strong and rapid European response to the economic crisis that’s been triggered by the pandemic.
“EU LEADERS MUST COME TO AN AGREEMENT”
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid ten days ahead of a crucial European Union summit where leaders will try to reach a deal on the €750 billion ($846 billion) coronavirus recovery package, and the long-term EU budget.
The Spanish and Italian leaders both insisted that EU leaders must come to an “ambitious” agreement by the end of the month.
“There isn’t another possibility. It has to be in July,” Sanchez told a joint press conference. “If you look in historic terms, Europe was the response to the massive crisis of World War II. Now, it has to be the answer to the crisis of COVID-19.”
“If we come to an agreement this July, the situation will be comparable to the creation of the Euro, the single market or the Treaty of Rome,” he continued. “This is what we are talking about – a historic step forward in the common project of Europe.”
Conte said the tragic experiences of COVID-19 in Spain and Italy unite the two countries, which also agree on the need for a generous European aid package.