Pedro Sánchez and Emmanuel Macron agree on need to reach agreement in July on financial package to speed up recovery following COVID-19 crisis

Eliseo Palace, París (France)

Pedro Sánchez and Emmanuel Macron expressed their full agreement on the need to reach an agreement in July. The President of the Government argued that the governance of the Fund should speed up the reforms, while it should also be used efficiently and speedily. This meeting concludes a week of contacts with European leaders at which Pedro Sánchez talked about the meeting that the EU-27 will hold on 17 and 18 July in Brussels.

This meeting took place just hours after the President of the Government held a meeting with the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, at which they highlighted that the common goal for both countries before the meeting of the European Council is to reach an agreement that strengthens the European Union.

At the meeting, Pedro Sánchez underlined the modernising and reformist agenda on which the Government of Spain has been working for some time now. This agenda is centred on the fight against climate change, the ecological and digital transition and education, to achieve a "more resilient" country in the future.

Pedro Sánchez, at Tuesday's meeting with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel - the country that holds the Rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union - highlighted that this crisis has clearly shown to the people of Europe and the whole world the importance of the European model of the Welfare State, with public, universal and free healthcare. At the joint press conference, the two leaders also agreed on the significance of all 27 countries reaching an agreement this week.

On Monday, the President of the Government met with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, stating to him that Spain's opinion has not changed regarding the volume or the criteria of the Fund, which "must rise to the magnitude" of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his tour, the President of the Government remarked to his European partners that, although differences exist between Member States, "we must share the aim of coming out of the meeting with a stronger Europe" and insisted that, if this is achieved "this will be an historic moment because what is at stake is the very reconstruction of Europe".