EU leaders extend summit as they haggle over budget, virus European Union leaders have extended their summit for an extra day as they hunted for compromises on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fundFrom left, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron speak during a meeting on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels, Saturday, July 18, 2020. Leaders from 27 European Union nations meet 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. Leaders from 27 European Union nations meet 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. That comes on top of the seven-year 1-trillion-euro EU budget that leaders were fighting over even before COVID-19 slammed their continent. Kurz said major issues still under discussion include the rule of law in EU nations and certainty on how the funds will be used.

Source: ABC News July 18, 2020 08:10 UTC