BRUSSELS – The EU competition chief said Friday that she is not “creating extra hurdles" for Lufthansa after the airline balked at accepting a 9 billion-euro German government rescue package because of what it said were tough EU conditions.
Margrethe Vestager said that EU rules require bailouts to include measures that would maintain a level playing field. She said they are the same for every company getting more than 250 million euros ($275 million) in rescue capital. “It’s to be able to balance the situation and to make sure the single market is still working," Vestager told a news conference. "And there is very broad consensus about this." During the pandemic, the EU has relaxed some of its rules that seek to keep countries from rescuing