– – – – –
The economic impact of EU money in Spain would be much stronger, which according to the calculations of the EU Commission can count on 82.2 billion in transfers and loan commitments. That would correspond to 6.6 percent of the Spanish economic output.
Aid could have a much greater impact in a number of smaller countries. Greece, for example, where hoteliers and taverns are particularly severely affected by travel restrictions, can roughly calculate around EUR 33.4 billion net from the package. That would correspond to 17.8 percent of the economic output in 2019. If one took the strongly slumped gross domestic product of this year as a yardstick, the economic effect would be a lot bigger.
The proportions are also very high in Bulgaria, where the expected aid accounts for 19.3 percent of economic output. In Latvia it is 11.8 percent, in Slovakia 10.5 percent, and in Portugal and Romania the share is just under ten percent of economic output.
Tourism very important for Croatian economy
EU aid will be particularly noticeable in Croatia, the youngest member of the European Union, which is currently in the Council Presidency. Croatia, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism, coordinates the negotiations between the member countries.
According to the commission’s bill, the country can count on loans and transfers in the net amount of 12.1 billion euros. That corresponds to 22.4 percent of economic output in the past year.
“For the EU as a whole, the magnitude of the sums is reasonable. If the aid for Croatia really amounts to 22 percent, that would be enormous, ”says Guntram Wolff, director of the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. “Such dimensions are very rare even with aid programs from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
also read
– –
Extended travel warning – – – – –
The economic importance of the aid programs for Greece was even greater; The majority of the money at the time, however, went in the form of loans. “It was already unique at that time, both the amount and the relationship to the Greek economic output. There has never been such a large aid program as in Greece, ”says the economist.
The distribution criteria show that Southeastern Europe benefits so much from the economic stimulus program. For the core of the program, the so-called reconstruction instrument, the following applies, for example: the poorer the country and the higher the unemployment, the more money the country can expect. The slump in economic performance, medical corona problems or debt play no role.
The executive vice president of the EU Commission responsible for economic matters, Valdis Dombrovskis, has justified this methodology: “We want to help the Member States that can only react to this crisis to a limited extent and therefore need support,” he said recently in a conversation with WELT.
In the coming week, the heads of state and government want to meet by video and then talk about the economic stimulus program. An agreement is likely to be reached in July at the earliest, when they should meet again personally in Brussels for the first time. Until then, there is still a lot to be discussed between the capitals.
– .
Related
Categories World Tags Austria , Brussels , Career , Corona Virus , Croatia , EU Commission , Europe , Greece , IMF , Italy , Spain , Stimulus package