03/08/2020 (Agence Europe) – Citing an interview with Clément Beaune, France’s new Minister of State for European Affairs, the Financial Times reported over the weekend that France will push for financial or legal sanctions as part of the EU Recovery Plan and the Rule of law conditionality mechanism. The EU27 created a conditionality mechanism in the agreement on the European budget and the Recovery Plan reached on 21 July, the details of which have no yet been specified, particularly by the European Commission. “It isn’t possible to explain to French, Polish, Hungarian and European citizens that we can have financial solidarity in Europe without consideration of respect for the basic rules of democracy, media freedom and equal rights”, said Beaune. (SP)