Merkel Says EU Should Have Acted Sooner as Virus Costs Mount (2)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered a wake-up call to fellow leaders in the 27-nation European Union, saying they all failed to step in quickly enough to control the pandemic as the cost of a second lockdown begins to come into focus.

Speaking by video conference Thursday, Merkel said that political realities stopped them from imposing restrictions earlier, and that they would have to draw lessons from the current situation and act faster in the future, according to officials with knowledge of her comments, who asked not to be identified because the meeting was private.

Countries in the EU, where more ...