The European Union has been seeking to bring member states together in a bid to secure support for a proposed €750 million coronavirus rescue package. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen espoused the plan Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel outlined to help member states affected by the pandemic, suggesting new taxation powers could help the bloc raise the necessary amount. But Finnish MEP Laura Huhtasaari warned agreeing to the fund could leave Brussels gaining unprecedented powers over the EU27.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Ms Huhtasaari said: “They don’t care about the rule of law, they don’t care about the treaties, they don’t care about the nation states’ constitutions.
They just want to do it and they also want to impose taxes at the EU level and who has the money has the power.
“I think this is a coup. I would call this a coup.”
The Finnish MEP repeatedly noted the proposed fund would effectively contravene one of the key tenet of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 125.
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According to Article 125, neither the bloc nor member states are not legally required to assume the commitment of either EU national government or central banks if they incur in financial trouble.
Ms Huhtasaari insisted the agreement on the coronavirus rescue package would require Brussels to wait for each member state to hold a referendum on changing the TFEU, as the fund would effectively require the EU 27 to pool their debts together.
Asked whether she though a deal on the package would be found, she said: “Unfortunately, I think it will, I think it will.
“The EU talks a lot about rule of law but it doesn’t follow it.”
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She said: “We are at the beginning of the summit now and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“If we do it right, we can overcome this crisis stronger and emerge stronger. All the necessary pieces are on the table and a solution is possible.
“A solution is what our people in Europe expect from us ebcause it’s their jobs that are at stakes and the risks of the virus still persist.”
Mrs von der Leyen added: “The whole world is watching us to see whether Europe is able to stand up united and to overcome this corona-related crisis stronger.
“With a convincing European budget, with Next Generation EU, we have the chance not only to overcome the crisis but also to modernise our single market and our union to bring forward the European Green Deal and the digitalisation.”
President Macron also warned the summit marked the “moment of truth” for the EU and insisted the future of the union will be “at stake” unless an agreement is reached.