EU finances – Rutte puts a spanner in the works

Mark Rutte, the Netherlands PM, has replaced the UK as head of the EU awkward squad, digging his heels in over the proposed Covid-19 rescue package. He along with the other ‘frugal four’ (Sweden, Denmark, Austria – and Finland) thinks the suggested €750bn ($857bn; £680bn) is too large, should be repayable loans not grants, evoking howls of blackmail from the Italian PM. And he thinks it should be withheld from nations who do not meet certain democratic principles, w