Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel;
Credit: © SIP / Yves Kortum
On Tuesday 10 March 2020, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel joined other European Union (EU) Heads of State and Government for an extraordinary video conference of the European Council concerning coronavirus.
On this occasion, the EU Heads of State and Government began by expressing their sympathy to all those affected by coronavirus and in particular to their Italian colleague, Giuseppe Conte, and to all Italians, who have been hardest hit in Europe.
European partners then carried out an inventory of the spread of the virus within the EU. Discussions also focussed on the importance of a systematic mutual exchange of national measures, the coordination of the latter and the development of common approaches in the fight against the virus and its consequences.
In his speech during the video conference, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel stated: "Our immediate priority and our joint action must focus above all on the health of European citizens, the availability of medical equipment and medicines, the promotion of scientific research, including a vaccine, and the responses to a potential economic slowdown. It is important that we coordinate our national measures at the European level and that the European Union makes common guidelines available to the Member States to guide our action. This enhanced coordination must lead to concrete results and be based on the principles of transparency, consistency and solidarity. This will be the determining factor in the European fight against the COVID-19 virus". Xavier Bettel also welcomed the idea of monitoring the medical equipment available, particularly masks and respirators, at the European level.
Regarding responses to a potential economic slowdown, Luxembourg's Prime Minister invited the European Commission to recognise the exceptional situation faced by the Member States. He stated: "Use all the necessary flexibilities with regard to your assessment national budgets, without however calling into question the general architecture of the Stability and Growth Pact. It is important to quickly find solutions that would cushion the blow that this crisis could cause for our businesses, and in particular for SMEs. We should therefore reflect as soon as possible on a relaxation of the state aid rules”.
The Council therefore decided that the Member States and the European institutions would ensure immediate and continuous monitoring at all levels in order to ensure the best possible preparation for Europe in the face of coronavirus.
