After tough wrangling, Poland and Hungary have given up their opposition to the EU reconstruction fund. If the EU Parliament also agrees, the fund can probably be launched in the first half of 2021, later than originally hoped. Southern Europe in particular is eagerly awaiting the billions in payments. Hopes are high that the funds will not only mitigate the economic damage caused by Corona, but also that there will now be financial leeway for creative economic policy. Rightly so? The EU funds will certainly help selectively, but they are probably not a „gamechanger“ for the core problem of growing economic divergence within the EU. A look at where the funds will mainly go and where the problems lie makes this clear. In order to ensure that the funds are used as efficiently as possible, the states cannot dispose of the funds as they wish; they must submit plans for…
