The community leader applauds Sánchez's proposal for a new Marshall Plan.
Ursula von der Leyen (Brussels, 61 years old) has been just over 100 days in the presidency of the European Commission, but in that short period of time she has had to face the greatest epidemic in the Old Continent since the so-called Spanish flu in early twentieth century. A long-standing pragmatic doctor and trainee doctor (15 uninterrupted years as a member of the successive Governments of Angela Merkel), Von der Leyen has gone from initial hesitation in the face of the unexpected health emergency of Covid-19 to the proposal of such drastic measures such as the historic closure of the EU's external bordersor the de facto suspension of the limits to the public deficit of the Stability Pact. On the eve of the European summit this Thursday, in which the 27 EU partners are expected to forge a common response to the budding economic catastrophe, Von der Leyen talks with EL PAÍS. It promises solidarity with Spain and supports the idea of the Marshall Plan raised by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, although he frames it in the future EU budget (2021-2027). The interview, as canons send in times of contagion, is by telephone with a president who, now more than ever, has turned her office in Brussels into a guard post open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "I haven't seen my family in weeks and it will be several more weeks before I can go home," he confesses without discouragement.
Question. The coronavirus has caused the greatest health crisis in Europe over the last 100 years. Is the EU in a position to tackle it?
Reply. First of all, let me express my solidarity with the Spanish, who are suffering so much these days, and my gratitude to the health personnel who work tirelessly in Spain. I admire the response of Spanish citizens. They are a model for Europe. Spain is not alone. No EU country can overcome this crisis on its own, but together we will develop the strength not only to fight the virus but also to regain the vigor of our economy.
P. As you say, Spain is now at the epicenter of the pandemic . What can Spanish society in Brussels expect beyond good words?
R.Two very specific things. Firstly, in the fight against the virus, Spain desperately needs protective equipment, such as masks or gloves. And in that field I have good news. The joint tender we have organized to buy material with 25 Member States, including Spain, has covered all the needs raised and we have even obtained more material than we needed. So Spain, like other States, can now access the quantity of material that it had requested and will be able to distribute it in hospitals. And in the economic field, we have relaxed the state aid rules of States and, for the moment, this will allow authorizing measures by the Spanish Government worth up to 20,000 million euros, which will support small and medium-sized companies and self-employed workers.
P. As you know, the Spanish government demands a kind of Marshall Plan to recover the European economy once the contagion is under control. Do you support that idea? How would it be financed?
A. The idea of a Marshal Plan is that we need a large investment at EU and Member State level. And the biggest sign of solidarity and the best way to invest in Europe is the EU budget. That is why I thank Spain for the momentum, which is in favor of our having a powerful Community budget, which is the best instrument of solidarity. To invest in the future and in the right priorities. I congratulate Spain, therefore, on the proposal.
P. Before Spain, Italy was the country that first suffered the tragedy and many Italians felt helpless and abandoned by their European partners. How is it possible that Chinese aid came before European aid?
A. I spoke last week by phone with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. And he reminded me that when China was hit by the virus in January, the EU immediately sent 56 tons of medical aid supplies. And they have not forgotten. So when we were suddenly in need, they wanted to return the favor. We must be grateful and it is the kind of solidarity we need. Now, Italy will also benefit from the joint tender we have carried out with such success.
P. The epidemic has filled the Schengen area with borders , hundreds of thousands of people return to their countries of origin. Do you think that European integration will reemerge after the crisis or will public opinion resist continuing with a transnational project that seems to be so fragile?
R.I think the last two weeks have shown how valuable our internal market is and how important it is to have the Schengen area. I understand that at first the Member States will react by closing borders to protect their peoples. But that caused serious damage to the flow of goods and the functioning of the single market. Now, thanks to the EU, we have been able to regain normality and there are almost no traffic jams at border crossings. And we see how important it is to preserve that single market, not only to produce and distribute the necessary protection material, or medical devices, or even daily products for our supermarkets, but also for our wealth and prosperity. It is the lesson we have learned in the past few days. Member States are now striving to abide by the rules and to show mutual solidarity. We have seen that this type of crisis can only be overcome if we are united.
P. For the third time in a decade, Europe seems on the brink of the precipice, as it already happened with the euro crisis and the migratory crisis. Will it be overcome this time? What do you expect from this week's European Summit?
A. Yes, I think we have learned how strong we are when we are all together in the EU and how weak we become separately. In the European budget, for example, we have formed the Coronavirus Investment Initiative, which will inject 11,000 million euros into the Spanish economy. It is European money for Spain. And it shows that in difficult times it is good to have European solidarity. And we also have an initiative to finance vaccine research, something that no country could afford to finance on its own. From this crisis, we will learn that the EU must not only be united, but also be more resistant.
Q. A more personal question, if I may. She is a doctor, lives far from her family ... How do you cope with this nightmare?
A. Thanks for asking. When I see the courage with which the Spanish people face this period, it gives me strength to do the same. My family understands the situation. I have not seen them for several weeks and will not be able to return home for many weeks. My seven children are at home with my husband, which is fine. What we do is talk on Skype every night and we discuss the day we have each had. That gives me strength to keep going.
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