(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
A man wearing a protective face mask walks on Waterloo bridge while the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April 7, 2020. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Europe’s struggle for solidarity
It’s been a bad 24 hours for Europe in its efforts to coordinate a joined-up response to the pandemic among its 27 member states. First, news broke that the president of the EU’s main science organisation quit over red tape and infighting; then the bloc’s finance chiefs failed to broker an EU-wide rescue package for the economy after all-night talks collapsed.
Officials said a feud between Italy and the Netherlands over what conditions should be attached to euro zone credit was blocking progress on half a trillion euros worth of aid. They will try again to break the deadlock on Thursday night.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire was not amused. He was quoted by one official as saying: “Shame on Europe. Stop this clownish show!”
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