After bumps, bows and birthday gifts, EU leaders get down to business

Wedding congratulations for Danish PM add to festive mood in Brussels - but it doesn't last long

With handshakes banned as EU leaders gathered in Brussels for their first in-person meeting since the coronavirus outbreak, greetings had to be creative. Many, such as Emmanuel Macron and Charles Michel, opted for a friendly elbow bump. Others offered polite bows.

After a series of unsatisfactory video conferences, meeting in person was deemed essential if EU leaders are to bridge their differences on a 1.8tn (1.6tn) financial settlement in a fiendishly complex negotiation that exposes profound differences on fiscal discipline, rule of law and the climate emergency. The stakes couldn't be higher," said Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president and architect of a 750bn coronavirus recovery proposal intended to help Europe's economy through the deepest economic shock since the second world war. The leaders are also trying to finalise a deal on a seven-year, 1.074tn budget after talks failed in February.