EU leaders face off over corona bailout summit

EU leaders will face difficult and fundamental issues on Friday-Saturday (17-18 July), when they attempt to agree on the planned seven-year €1.07 trillion budget and €750bn recovery package.

Pressure has been mounting to come to an agreement to tackle the economic fallout of the pandemic, calm financial markets and invest in European economies facing the biggest recession in the bloc's history.

But deep divisions persist, as EU leaders meet for the first time in person since the...