Von der Leyen claims EU would have collapsed if nations followed UK s speedy jab rollout Joe Barnes, Brussels Correspondent
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The European Commission President said the sluggish distribution of Covid jabs was necessary to preserve unity across the 27-nation project. In an address to the European Parliament, Mrs von der Leyen said: I cannot even imagine what would have happened if just a handful of big players, big member states had rushed to it and everybody else would have been left empty-handed. What would that have meant for our internal market and for the unity of Europe? It would have been, I think, the end of our community.
ECB Considers Ending Private Calls to Banks, Investors After Policy Meetings
The European Central Bank is considering terminating an unusual communications policy whereby its chief economist placed private calls to banks and investors shortly after policy meetings, a practice that had raised eyebrows among financiers and central-bank officials.
Starting in March last year, Philip Lane, the chief economist, spoke directly with a select group of global institutions in the hours after the bank’s policy decisions, in an effort to clarify its sometimes-puzzling public pronouncements.
The calls, reported in early December by The Wall Street Journal, broke with the central bank’s usual practice of delivering information to all market participants at the same time. They were made to big investors such as BlackRock Inc. and banks such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
THE European Central Bank (ECB) is “reconsidering” the format of controversial telephone calls chief economist Philip Lane holds with senior private sector bankers, according to its chief Christine Lagarde.
She defended the calls in identical letters sent yesterday to two MEPs who had raised concerns; Sinn Féin s Chris MacManus and Dutch MEP Derk Jan Eppink. The letters were published on the ECB’s website.
The direct telephone calls with Prof Lane made headlines last year, when it was reported that he spoke with senior private sector bankers and investors after policy decisions had been taken and announced by the bank.
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EU news: Mr Barnier listens as Mr Eppink condemns the fishing row (Image: European Parliament)
The Dutchman added in October: We will not abandon this national interest for us. It s heavily anchored in Dutch culture and we need to support Dutch fishermen at any price. So bilateral negotiations, if there is a failure, need to remain possible. It s true that we ve had 400 years of conflict with the British, but we need to do better this time.
The Netherlands relationship with the EU has steadily grown more difficult, particularly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The nation was accused by some inside the bloc of going against the principles of solidarity with states including Spain, after it refused to give gifts to other member states to support them through the pandemic.