Mar.27 — Yesterday’s call between EU leaders wasn’t as fruitful as had been hoped. They struggled to agree on a concrete strategy to contain the fallout from the virus in a coordinated way. Countries including France, Italy and Spain are pushing for more radical steps such as joint debt issuance, something ECB President Christine Lagarde is also backing. But Lagarde’s appeals fell on deaf ears with Germany and the Netherlands shooting down the proposal as usual. Bloomberg’s Maria Tadeo reports on “Bloomberg Markets: European Open.”
In This Story: EU
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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In This Story: France
France is a republic and the largest Western European nation. Through expansion and colonisation in the 17th and 18th centuries France became a great power and still retains territories around the world. It has a seat on the UN security council and is the world’s fourth most wealthy country with a high standard of living and strong cultural identity.
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In This Story: Germany
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic led by a chancellor. With over 83 million inhabitants of its 16 constituent states, it is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, as well as the most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Berlin, and its financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.
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In This Story: Italy
The capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s “David” and Brunelleschi’s Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital.