“I expected a stronger assumption of responsibility from national leaders. We now have two weeks to work to find new answers, during this time we hope the reservations some had will be lifted.

“European institutions are fighting to defend our citizens, our health, and our democracy, nobody can get out of this emergency alone. That is why we must push back against the short-sightedness and selfishness of some governments. Europe is more than just national governments. Countries must be able to spend all they need to spend. To do this we need a common tool to guarantee debt.

"Governments must recognise quickly that the Europe that emerges from this crisis will not be the same that entered it. This is still not appreciated enough. EU institutions have understood this and national governments must come to understand it too.”