Spain says EU recovery fund debt is not charity

Joint borrowing by European Union countries to finance a fund to recover from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is not charity, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez said on Monday. All the countries involved will contribute to reimbursing the debt, even northern countries dubbed "frugal", she said in an interview with Belgian radio station RTBF.

"It is not like the Netherlands is providing charity to Spain or France," she said.