EU finance ministers have failed to agree on a bailout plan to help hard hit member states face the coronavirus outbreak, after Italy refused to abandon its plea for "coronabonds" to share the burden.
Diplomatic sources and officials said a feud between Italy and the Netherlands over what conditions should be attached to euro zone credit for governments fighting the pandemic was blocking progress on half a trillion euro worth of aid. "After 16 hours of discussions we came close to a deal but we are not there yet," Eurogroup chairman Mario Centeno said this morning. "I suspended the Eurogroup and (we will) continue tomorrow." The finance ministers, who started talks at 2.30pm yesterday that lasted all night with numerous breaks,