Ursula Von Der Leyen

FILE - In this July 30, 2020, file photo, passengers board a Casco Bay Lines ferry bound for Peaks Island in Portland, Maine. America's failure so far to contain the spread of the coronavirus as it moves across the country has been met with astonishment and alarm on both sides of the Atlantic. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

US tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe's alarm

Aug. 9, 2020 4:56 PM EDT

ROME (AP) — With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe. Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled...

FILE - In this June 16, 2020, file photo, French President Emmanuel Macron listens to a researcher as he visits an industrial development laboratory at French drugmaker's vaccine unit Sanofi Pasteur plant in Marcy-l'Etoile, near Lyon, central France. As the race for a vaccine against the new coronavirus intensifies, many rich countries are rushing to the front of the line by placing advance orders for the inevitably limited supply to guarantee their citizens are immunized first. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, Pool)

US sinks another $2.1 billion into a potential vaccine

Jul. 31, 2020 12:47 PM EDT

LONDON (AP) — Pharma giants GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur have announced they will supply 100 million doses of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine to the United States as governments buy up supplies in hopes of securing a candidate that works. The United States will pay up to $2.1 billion “for...

FILE- In this Friday, May 15, 2020, file photo, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban listens to a question during a press conference after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia. Hungary's prime minister says that his country won a “very important battle” at the European Union summit this week, where national leaders of the 27-member bloc decided an seven-year budget and economic recovery package to counter the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

Hungarian PM claims EU win but rule-of-law dispute not over

Jul. 24, 2020 8:03 AM EDT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s prime minister on Friday touted what he called his victory at the European Union summit, where the bloc's leaders decided on a massive seven-year budget and coronavirus recovery plan, but acknowledged he did not achieve his goal of de-linking EU funds from rule of...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses European lawmakers at the European Parliament in Brussels, Thursday, July 23, 2020. European leaders took a historic step towards sharing financial burdens among the EU's 27 countries by agreeing to borrow and spend together to pull the economy out of the deep recession caused by the coronavirus outbreak. (Francois Walschaerts, Pool Photo via AP)

EU top official: Budget cuts are 'difficult pill to swallow'

Jul. 23, 2020 12:52 PM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's top official said Thursday that planned cuts in the next long-term multi-billion budget of the 27-nation bloc are a “difficult pill to swallow." In a speech delivered to European lawmakers, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted that the...

European Parliament President David Sassoli talks during a news conference following the recovery financial plan deal at the EU leaders summit, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. After four days and nights of wrangling, exhausted European Union leaders finally clinched a deal on an unprecedented 1.8 trillion-euro (dollars 2.1 trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery fund early Tuesday, after one of their longest summits ever. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)

EU Parliament chief deplores cuts in key budget programs

Jul. 22, 2020 8:25 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament's president criticized Wednesday the cuts to key programs that the EU's 27 leaders approved in the bloc's long-term budget at a marathon summit this week. The seven-year budget worth 1.07 trillion ($1.2 trillion) was negotiated in tandem with a 750 billion-euro ($868...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron prepare to address a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Weary European Union leaders finally clinched an unprecedented budget and coronavirus recovery fund early Tuesday, finding unity after four days and as many nights of fighting and wrangling over money and power in one of their longest summits ever. (John Thys, Pool Photo via AP)

EU agrees on $2.1 trillion deal after marathon summit

Jul. 21, 2020 6:22 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — After four days and nights of wrangling, exhausted European Union leaders finally clinched a deal on an unprecedented 1.8 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery fund early Tuesday, after one of their longest summits ever. The 27 leaders grudgingly committed to a...

from left, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen meet on the sidelines of an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Sunday, July 19, 2020. Leaders from 27 European Union nations meet face-to-face for a third day of an EU summit to assess an overall budget and recovery package spread over seven years estimated at some 1.75 trillion to 1.85 trillion euros. (AP Photo/Francois Walschaerts, Pool Photo via AP)

EU summit breaks up after all-night talks, to resume later

Jul. 20, 2020 1:44 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Weary and bleary European Union leaders temporarily broke up their summit at dawn on the fourth day of acrimonious haggling over an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund to tackle the crisis. They committed to pick up the fight again later...

European Council President Charles Michel, center left, speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, third right, French President Emmanuel Macron, second right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, during a meeting on the sidelines of an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Saturday, July 18, 2020. Leaders from 27 European Union nations met face-to-face for a second day of an EU summit to assess an overall budget and recovery package spread over seven years estimated at some 1.75 trillion to 1.85 trillion euros. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

EU leaders extend summit as they haggle over budget, virus

Jul. 18, 2020 10:18 PM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders on Saturday extended their summit by an extra day in the hope they were finally closing in on a deal for an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund. A deal was still far off, but several key nations said negotiations...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, speaks with Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Friday, July 17, 2020. Leaders from 27 European Union nations meet face-to-face on Friday for the first time since February, despite the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic, to assess an overall budget and recovery package spread over seven years estimated at some 1.75 trillion to 1.85 trillion euros. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP)

Elbows? Masks? Presents? Let this divisive EU summit begin!

Jul. 17, 2020 3:29 PM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — At the start of one of the most daunting and divisive summits in recent history, the atmosphere among the European Union leaders was downright giddy. Blame the coronavirus pandemic. With all kinds of masks, social distancing rules, and new ways of greetings, some of the leaders reveled in...

EU watchdog to probe trade pact with South American nations

Jul. 10, 2020 7:43 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s independent watchdog has launched an inquiry into the bloc’s trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries after environmental and rights groups complained that the deal does not respect the EU’s legal obligations. The European...

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