On 27 May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyenpresented the plan “Next Generation EU” – the Commission’s recovery package to tackle the heavy negative impact produced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The package aims at boosting European economies towards a more digital and greener society and includes a unique €750 billion on loans and grants, on top of a €1.135 trillion budget for the next seven years.

Commenting on the new recovery instrument, ALDE President Hans van Baalen said:

“I welcome the Next Generation EU Package by the European Commission as a serious, constructive basis for negotiation.

European democracy is based on the co-operation between the EU Institutions and the Member States which means that the European Council has to take a unified position on the Package on June 18 and 19 at best or during the German EU Presidency from July 1.

The European Recovery Plan (Marshall-plan) was not built in a few weeks either. The Next Generation EU should unite us and not divide us. I emphasize that investments in the European economy, whether grants or loans, must always contribute to structural and sustainable reform. The European taxpayers, the European citizens demand value for their money.

We are all in this together so this should not be a North - South, East - West divide. We all benefit from the European Common Market and therefore we should all protect it. United we stand, divided we fall.”

#NextGenerationEU is a very constructive basis for negotiations at the next European Council. Grants or loans, they should contribute to structural reform of the EU economy and strengthen the Internal Market. We are all in this together! #EUbudget https://t.co/SBX8hp2tSn

— Hans van Baalen (@hansvanbaalen) May 28, 2020