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'EU: from in the Rutte to en route.' Joking apart, the deal is a big achievement. Strange way to run a continent, but reaching consensus in Europe has always been difficult. My 5 1/2 immediate, first-reaction questions (& tentative answers)... [thread] https://politi.co/3g0q6yV
Q1. Will enough funds reach the right places in hard-hit south European economies fast enough to avoid worsening N/S divide in Eurozone & soaring Salvini-style Eurosceptic populism? (Tentative A: probably yes, just about.)
Q2. Will Rutte & Kurz-style 'frugal four' hard line keep in check equal and opposite north European Eurosceptic populism? (A: probably yes, just about.)
Q3. Will the EU rule of law and anti-corruption procedures prove an effective check on Hungarian and Polish populists' erosion of democracy? (A: alas & alack, almost certainly not. That will be up to the Poles & Hungarians themselves, as ever was.)
Q4. Will these huge sums really be used to make a fundamental shift towards a green economy? (A: jury still out on this one. Long-term, probably the single most consequential question.)
Q5. Is this a great achievement for Angela Merkel and the German presidency? (A: yes. Bravo, chapeau & Hut ab, Frau Merkel.)
Q5 1/2. Clearly the Brits were not actually the only difficult customers in the EU, so are they sorely missed? (A: short-term, definitely not. Long-term, esp in external policy, story may be different.)
comments welcome & @threadreaderapp pls unroll
