Luxembourg PM isolates after EU summit with Macron

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel went into self-isolation Thursday pending results of a Covid-19 test after attending a summit last week with EU leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron.

The French leader has tested positive for the virus and several EU politicians have announced they are taking tests or quarantining, but Bettel linked his move directly to the December 10-11 overnight meeting in Brussels.

“Following our participation in the European Council (summit), I have decided as a precautionary measure to put myself into self-quarantine until I receive my test result,” Bettel tweeted.

“I have no symptoms and continue to fully carry out my duties and functions.”

Earlier, Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted that he too had taken a test and isolated himself after meeting Macron last Thursday.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who was also at the meeting, and summit host European Council President Charles Michel said they were taking precautions after meeting Macron in Paris on Monday.

If Macron’s infection is traced back to last week’s summit it could have implications for the representatives of all 27 EU member states, who held 20 hours of talks in Brussels under social distancing guidelines.

Most member states were represented by heads of state or government, but Estonia’s Prime Minister Juri Ratas was already in quarantine and was represented by his Latvian counterpart Krisjanis Karis.