63. European solidarity

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The EU has announced a 750 billion (American) euro recovery fund. It will be used by countries as they need it, will be deployed to fund strategically important sectors and, unlike recovery cash in the aftermath of the last financial crisis, will be repaid from EU funds. This sets up the scene for poorer countries to benefit the most and for richer countries to pay most of the bill. The EU has, finally, after over 20 years in the wilderness, remembered that solidarity is one of the values at the heart of its project. It’s only one policy, one announcement, but it has the potential to be a paradigm change, to build a more equal, faster growing and more competitive Europe. I’m both relieved and heartened that, when we expect to be let down by our politicians, the leaders of the European economic powers and the top European bureaucrats have answered the call of history and stood up, refusing to withdraw from the fight against exacerbated, selfish nationalism. The EU has a chance. We all do

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Location: Hereford, UK

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