Rebuilding the future

The EU will double down on its efforts to use the Covid-19 crisis to accelerate the ‘green’ and digital transition, fuelled by its €1.95 trillion stimulus, an intense policy agenda and new trade opportunities to improve its global standing.

In 2020, Europe suffered one of its worst nightmares. The deadliest pandemic in a century collapsed health care systems across the continent and forced thousands of businesses to shutter amid the worst recession in the EU’s history.

“It was the most important stress test for the EU institutions, for our message of ‘we are better united’”, said the European Parliament’s spokesperson, Jaume Duch Guillot. “The result has been very positive”, he concluded.

That assessment is shared among senior officials in the Council and the European Commission, chiefly because of the agreement on the €1.2 trillion multi-annual financial framework and the €750 billion pandemic recovery fund.