Economics

Macron Confident of EU Stimulus Deal While the Dutch Have Doubts

French leader is touring capitals to discuss EU recovery plan
President due to hold talks with Angela Merkel in coming days

Emmanuel Macron, left, and Mark Rutte dine in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 23.Photographer: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Pool/Getty Images

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By Ania Nussbaum and Diederik Baazil

June 24, 2020 at 10:56 AM UTC

Updated on

June 24, 2020 at 1:38 PM UTC

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French President Emmanuel Macron is turning up the heat on European member states who’ve expressed misgivings about plans for a massive spending program to revive the economy.

Macron said that after meeting with the Dutch premier on Tuesday night he’s confident the European Union’s 27 members will reach an agreement on the proposal for a 750 billion-euro ($840 billion) fund. The Dutch weren’t so sure however. A person familiar with the discussion said the Dutch side still has the impression that some of the differences between France and the Netherlands remain unbridgeable.