L’UE gioca duro: se non volete sequestrare i soldi della Russia, aprite i vostri portafogli

>The idea of joint European borrowing is rejected by most of the bloc’s governments. That’s why the Commission is using it as leverage to get them to approve the use of Moscow’s assets for Ukraine

>The EU is ratcheting up pressure on governments reluctant to agree on funding for war-ravaged Ukraine — telling them if they don’t force Russia to foot the bill, they’ll have to do it themselves.

>The European Commission is acutely aware that its plan B — joint EU borrowing known as eurobonds — is even more unpalatable for funding a €140 billion reparations loan for Kyiv than its idea of using frozen Russian state assets, which hit a roadblock last week. Governments historically hostile to big spending, especially Germany and the Netherlands, nicknamed the “frugals,” loathe the prospect of piling greater debt onto taxpayers. Spendthrift nations, France and Italy in particular, are too indebted to take on more.

>“The lack of fiscal discipline [in some EU countries] is so high that I don’t believe that eurobonds will be accepted, certainly by the frugals over the next 10 years,” said Karel Lannoo, chief executive of the influential Centre for European Policy Studies, a Brussels think tank. That’s why using the frozen Russian assets looks like the only game in town. “€140 billion is a ton of money and we have to use it. We have to show that we’re not afraid.”

The European Commission cannot threaten jack shit. Ultimately, supreme political power is with the individual governments, whether the European Commission likes it or not.

And if individual countries don’t want to pay for it, there is nothing the Commission can do to force them.

there is literally no consequence for saying no to both…

I guess they are threatening only Belgium which doesn’t want to seize the assets not the whole union, don’t know why every guy here gets mad when most of redditors hardly pay taxes

They could just do neither 

It’s like the murderer of your neighbors takes the loot to the pawnshop and the pawnshop knows where he got these things. Then he continues to take the loot while the thief continues to kill and rob. And when the pawnshop is asked to return the loot, he says that everyone should be held accountable because they just make money and they need to pay their employees. And then they continue to take the blood money because they need to work somehow. Hypocrites and all.

Good luck in getting the Europeans govs to agree on borrowing.

If the Russian assets are seized and sent to Ukraine, it’s likely that European countries will have to reimburse Russia after it legally challenges the seizure.

Europeans aren’t willing to send significantly more money to Ukraine, it would likely not be a popular political move at this point.

Maybe it’s time to start preparing public opinions to the end of the war, and thinking seriously about peace negotiations?

What is annoying is the amount of bureaucracy to get things done. Belgium has legitimate legal concerns. The EU countries don’t want to share the burden (ironically).

The solution is to make laws that resolve the fear Belgium rightfully has. A legal framework on this specific issue.
I think all countries can agree atleast that we rather let Russia foot the bill for the war and damages it caused by itself then that we collectively pay for a war we didnt even start.

The funds were frozen, use it. But create a proper legal framework to protect the Belgiums from possible legal scrutiny afterwards by Russia through our legal system.

Can we please stop posting every Politico sensationalist headline in this thread?

Politico is an American-owned anti-European business, using ragebait headlines and gossip to draw attention and make revenue.

Stop giving this “European Fox News” credibility. They are making money off your outrage. It’s all they do.