Coronavirus is proving a serious test for European cooperation. Borders have been closed between EU Member States, putting strains on supply chains for food and medicine. The European Commission has been urging countries to work together and keep their internal borders open for goods and essential staff, but with only partial success.
National policy responses to the pandemic have also often seemed uncoordinated, with different countries pursuing radically different strategies. This has led, for example, to French President Emmanuel Macron taking the extraordinary step of warning UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson he was considering closing French borders to UK citizens unless the British introduced tougher social distancing measures (with the proviso, of course, that the UK is no longer an EU Member State).
EU Member States have also been accused of approaching the economic response to the crisis from “different angles”. The early missteps of the European Central Bank reflected clear differences in opinion behind the scenes as to the best approach (though the initial communication error was swiftly corrected).
Although a consensus has emerged that governments need to use all available firepower to fight the crisis, there is still disagreement about how to do that in a way that doesn’t cause even more long-term damage. Meanwhile, different European countries are adopting very different strategies, with different consequences.
Why isn’t Europe solving the crisis together? Should EU Member States adopt a more coordinated response? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
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The EU seems absolutely caught by surprise by this crisis, and the internal discord between member states laid clearly open – otherwise I cannot understand this almost immediate turn back to national decisions and policies that differ vastly across member states. I worry about what the Covid-19 crisis will mean for the solidarity of the union in the future.
In addition, the whole affair is a PR fiasko for the EU. While we were able to flex our muscles quickly went it came to barring the Greek borders to refugees and send police from all over Europe to Greece and give speeches about it being our “shield”, we are unable to support Spain and Greece who already applied for the civil protection mechanism of the EU on March 16 and are still waiting for help. Citizens there and everywhere across the union will not remember that the EU is making funds available over the next 2 months (if they ever arrive), but images of flag-waving doctors from Cuba and Chinese equipment arriving before supplies from Germany made it to Lombardy.
… nature. Mother Nature.
Yes
Of course. Not doing it, is like walking in a busy street without a mask…
For the example, you actually know what going in Hungary exact at this time political on!? And you leave it!? What is this just an EU still now!? EU!? You are out!
Or please shut up. Your train is always late. You could for example organise the storage of first aid equipment for all Europe instead of opening our borders to everybody…
Guess why?
Because it would take more time before everyone would agree to implement one universal solution.
Because not all countries have the same means…..
Not the member States, but the EU’s own ERCC, which by the way has done basically nothing so far. The ERCC was contacted by Italy as they needed urgent assistance. The ERCC proved its inefficiency: no reply whatsoever.
Because the nation states are a lot more effective in solving problems than a gigantic bureaucratic supergovernment.
Not if these member states are dependent on EU Directives and financial restrictions..
could be…
ou think single countries would have better response than within the EU??
Poor you!
The EU is not that efficiant just because the real power is still at the nations states.
They already proved it, you clearly haven’t been following how the crisis developed.
proof or it didn’t happen!
ok dissolve russia then
you should think about Russia
Because this stupid and worthless thing called EU is only made out of Germany,France and Itally.This EU is a monstrosity that should have never been borned.
Yes we were.And most of the romanians can testify this.
so if you have majority please return to sweet daddy of yours. So long boys and girls!!!! Dont forget to send postcards… If He permits…
What, Italy?? Italy has been left alone too!
the reason Romania has been in a mess, especially over the last 6 months, is because the country hasn’t had a government! The EU can’t be blamed for that!
Europe is dead. The EU is a zombie.
no
We get no help from EU even in this dire situation. If not for China we would have no help from anyone. France and Germany are hoarding everything for themselves, and Germany will never accept eurobonos. The EU is a hapless bystander to events. It’s irrelevant. We can except the BCE which does have real power.
Have patience…! World doesn’t end and neither free spirit of the people. War, earthquakes, inundations, atomic disasters, terrorism or who knows what kind of disasters were covered by norms, but nobody believed in a pandemic hitting all so fast, yet it happened and next time we’ll all know how to act.
Have patience he says with 500 deaths every day. This is a moribund project. There is no point to an EU which is irrelevant, where anything substantial that gets done is done bilaterally with China. Sleepy old Europe is not a funny joke when people are dying of it.
ahh , China is the one who created the problem!
We need only one thing a EU federation
yes but with 8 only
no all the country of Europe
Federation now
It’s okay! I’m with you! But by this people on the top who will be the leader!? And wich country will dominate it!? I see wishes, but not a solution! Please not the merkelsche Germoneys!
what you mean? A federation like Switzerland would be perfect
Yes, why not!? Something like that as the first example. If the countrys and the staats of Europa stay totally sovereign, they’ll wouldn’t be exsisting very long anymore. Sovereignity it’s only good today for such rogue and corrupt staats and regime like the Hungarian, with the leading of mr. Orban as President who in biggest style stealed and robed out (and brainwashed) the own citizens and who up from the last ten years only for his own interest and interest the friends of him hijacked and captured the moneytransfers the european tax payers, which they’ve paid as a benefits to Hungary. He put billions and billions in the pocket of his plumber. No, this is not a joke and it is not funny, this is a true disaster! Inform you please about it! No thanks, such solution have no way by me! But the Dominance of Mutter Merkel!? No! The same like before, not with me!
Healthcare is not part of the EU competences. Every country has a huge fire to fight, though some EU coordination would be welcome. In the economic crisis that follows the epidemic, the EU must play a vital role. A very different role than in the last crisis.
Yes
It should be !!
It’s not about big government pushing down one solution, it’s about making sure ressources are shared where needed. It’s sad to see to good old nationalistic reflex taking full front stage in such time of crisis. Shutting borders, sure, it’s part of confinement measures. But why close national borders and not city borders? The line is arbitrary and borders on the ridiculous. At least the EU so far – I hope – is not following the very sad example of the US: using this crisis to plunder more money for large corporations and the superrich under the ridiculous argument that we must save the economy. We must save the economy when the crisis is over. Bailing out big companies now is throwing money out the windows. Money and resources should go to workers who cannot work and hospitals.
Because they are useless and need to be consigned to the dustbin of history
EUROPE is working together ti fight the virus. Look on the European Commissions dedicated site and europa. Dont post stupid misleading misinformation
Strength needed in National & Union level.
Why isn’t Europe solving the crisis together?
Here is food for thought. There is no doubt this disease and its rapid spread is peculiar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fC0ewWE1OI
The first man to get this disease had it in November 2019. He was taken into a Chinese hospital around the beginning of December 2019. It rapidly spread from then on and the Chinese government informed the WHO relatively quickly. So, the world knew of this mid December. However, no flights were stopped from China either at that time or indeed, in the UK until now.
Once it was known to have have spread to the European continent, flights remained functional from areas proven to have the virus in their population.
Why would that be? Once the deadly spread was known of throughout the world, travel of possibly infected people was not ended. In my opinion that fact remains very odd. Globalism? Four months has passed with dramatic spread and yet we still await our leaders to act seriously on it.
In the UK we cannot buy testing corona kits directly. They are inexpensive 8.60 GBP and there are many outlets with them available. However, they have been banned from selling them to the public. This is not addressed in the news so far.
We are told by South Korea the only way to slow this virus down is via testing and containing those with it. Why is this not being followed in the West?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdSRMrYdxVY
Because this whole crisis is where the so called European unity nonsense finally crashes up against reality. Name one country where that countries population would be happy to see their own elected government’s decisions being overruled by the EU,the fact is that the nation state is best placed to deliver the protection for it’s own citizens.
@ Maria,
Want to remain purely in a capitalist society? My understanding is, Private Health Insurance doesn’t cover you for this pandemic. Socialism covers all illness. It’s called the NHS in the UK. And every single worker in it is dearly loved by us all.
Why isn’t Europe solving the crisis together?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8157963/US-coronavirus-cases-world.html
You mean non existing EU
Simple we are not a federation and we do not have federal laws.
Because the greedy north wants to make business with our pain (again like in 2008) amd create loans with interests for them amd sell us their products, maintaining the rich(er) north and poor(er) South. Solidarity in EU? Did we ever have? But let.s be positive, it will be cheeaper to get drunk and pee on the street in the spanish holidays for the north. We should leave EU deffinitely.
we are trying. parliamentary republics especially the ones with federal structures take time to make decisions. xi, vlad or castro just bark and everyone jumps. hardly comperable standarts.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/28/military-flies-italian-french-patients-germany-treatment-12471328/?ITO=squid&fbclid=IwAR3Tj7FATS69fZYVX3xMrJ7sKVDrMjTQxoea3DFqptBjQ_Lr8lFbSfRAQ3E
well it is quite simple. This is not just an economic crisis. A global Pandemia and we have already 6.528 deaths in Spain. Do you think we fcking care about the mechanisms at the moment? Do you know we have 12.000 doctors/nurses/medical people infected in Spain? We don.t even have a centralized buy out of medical protections in Europe and each country is copin with them and buying in the black market. We won.t forget this one. Selfishness is killing EU.
EU for trade not politics
True…. Russia and China were the first to help Italy….instead the !!!EU!!
dictatorships are faster at decisionmaking then democracies? wow who could have known that
They were also good at advertising it. Other countries have helped too, including France, Germany and Austria, but we hear nothing about that…I wonder why it is
if other EU countries have helped Italy would not ask help to the World))
Irena Mnatsakanyan I’m sure Italy appreciates this friendly gesture, however how do you explain this:
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-italy-russia…
https://www.forbes.com/…/from-russia-with-love…/amp/
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/…/80-of-russias…
I suppose it’s all lies, right ?
yes its not an official source
ou’re going to have to back up your claim with qualitative and quantitative evidence, namely that at this present stage, Russian and Chinese AID (which yes, we do acknowledge exists) is actually proved more effective than the one which has recently been shipped by NATO and the EU as a whole. If not, you may have zero credibility. Check the German Bundeswehr FB page or the NATO official page and check the genuine efforts made to curb this disease. Instead you’re praising Russia and China and refuse to give credit to all other member states. Why is that?
Russia sent not only help they sent the collegium of doctor to diagnose and examine the situation)))) it was not help just because of their benefits to learn more about disease and how to react in such situation, because it will be even worse in Russia soon.
smart move )
also Greece by supplying tons of medical support.
Propaganda
Selfishness of some countries, like Netherlands, Germany, which in time Will tear apart the EU.
Germans are not selfish to help and share with other me countries. They just don’t want to be able to be able to make them pay for everything. if you wanted me to pay your debts you have to ask me to do that. What the southern countries are saying is that “the divas of the south are and in the future will always be the northern debts too”. I don’t accept that. If you guys want us to help you need to ask us for help politically every time you need help instead of insulting us.
where is the EU help? China, Russia and Cuba are sending doctors. EU is…..
Different question. What exactly do you want us to do? Fly patients out to Germany? Transfer ventilators and masks to affected countries? Already happened and still happening. I don’t see the problem with that. The problem is that your governments will try to screw us over with the “coronabonds” (plus call us nazis if we don’t like beeing screwed over) of which you exactly know that they are not “coronabonds” but “foreverbonds”. When corona is over in half a year do you think coronabonds would disappear? There is a difference between helping you TREAT PEOPLE NOW and support you in short term economic problems because of corona or pay for your governments FOREVER even when corona is over. Because that is what these coronabonds mean
get the facts straight. Don’t look to the finger when it’s pointing to the stars. Go back when Germany “EU” “order” the other governments to inject money on the economy ( greater debt) and when they acknowledge the problem with the Deutsch bank, they shifted the policy. It’s was always about German interest (money)…. Which Germany profit a lot without spending a Euro.
my comments aren’t address to the German people but to the politicians. Take care, be safe.
I am Portuguese and I think the same way you do. If we had invested the millions that came from the EU in the past correctly we would be in the front line and we would be in your position but unfortunitly for the Portuguses people we have corrupt government all along some more others less. So today I can understand the richer countries not wanting to help in financial aid but unfortunitly the ones who need your help will be the ones that sffer the most. I would like to suggest to the EU to control how the aid they give is spent and if any corruption small or big is detected make the country pay.
Of course we are coherent if we were Germans we would feel the same. If we don’t see it more and more and we pay more and worse and worse. Don’t tell me it’s also the fault of me.
rhetoric of reality… pathetic.
After Merkel, the EU lost its solidarity and humanity values. What we see today is the rest of good old Europe, but now in the hands of economic decisors that are too ambicious, but lack a higher EU vision… (too many nacionalists owing favours to some big companies)
was there ever solifarity? Or they wanted to sell their products in the south.
That’s what I think. As a German I don’t mind bailing southern countries out in a crisis with 80, 100 or 150billion euros, the ECB prints money like there is no tomorrow anyway. But I expect this kind of financial transfers to be a one time thing where you are nice and help people in a moment of need instead of a thing where the German and the Italian state suddenly have one common bank acount (eurobonds) and the Italian state keeps taking more and more out of it because the mafia has stolen half of the state budget
don’t worry. You will soon stand only with nothern countries in the EU. And then we will see how you manage without the southern countries to exploit and corrupt as your companies largely did in the past. You’ll be much better, I believe. All of you hard working folks who don’t spend money in ‘women and wine’, as we are accused of doing. And we, the southern countries, will be amongst our equals. In Portugal, we are used to beeing a country for the last 900 years, and I’m pretty sure we will go on doing so. Stay safe.
I know your history, I speak your language and I respect your country and citizens and estou feliz e com muito orgulho se podemos ajudar o povo portugues. But respect goes both ways. I want my country to still have at least THE CHOICE to help. I want us to make the choice of helping volunterely. Basicaly like we’re philantrops not like in socialism where everything is just taken from the wealthier people. Eurobonds which southern European countries want to introduce will just press us into a situation where they will be able to take, without even showing the respect of asking before doing so.
I believe that the creation of the EU was (also) based in solidarity, sharing and co-creation. Irregardless the official national positions and interests, many people, across the whole EU still practice it. I also dont want to promote the north/south speach. I am aware that not all countries have the same financial/corruption, national services investment practices and some discipline needs to be promoted.
Because EU is still suffering identity crisis in regards or state responsibility and sovereignty. There is no concept of internal and external affairs, and there isn’t any mechanism that handles containment and de-escalation of issues that spread across the entire system. All of the above is caused by the interpretation of the EU as a piggy-bank, and/or inter-state dispute resolution platform compared to a system that promotes constructive collaboration, and management.
Not only the economic response but all matters, this is the reason EU won’t exist in a few years.
Because we have an economic exploitation unity based on fear for democracy. I was really loving the idea now i am disgusted to the bone. Lets wrap it up. There can be unity like united nations on a european level that is enough and far better than this german sick joke
Because our governs are selfish. I don’t think that its populatios is selfish too
We Don t trust this Europe any more
think the EU is doing a lot of stuff but EU citizens don’t know it! I think, and that has always been an issue, that the EU needs to make clear and make public that they’re helping and trying their best
Nationalism
We need strong leadership to give just enough FORCE to acheive complete political intergrate. Fuck the old “countries” we need a solid United States of Europe now!!
Because EU is Burocracy Socialism and taxes, nothing more
Because when crisis starts, solidarity goes out of the window
Really…. because the Brussels gravy train is coming to a halt.
Because European decision process is slow and inefficient
I fon t think that EU should care about everything but only about
Safety and security
International trade and common market
Finance and Euro
Tax and social policy
Because the only important thing is to retain the system of creating fake money on a computer terminal and selling it with interest.
Because the most important Tg things Europe was interested in the last period was the climatic changes, the saving of the whale and how many genders toilet cabins should exist…
Simple… Because the only way the EU would help member states was by loaning money with huge interest and then give it to the Deutsche Bank.
Because nation states won’t let it happen. They are unfortunately still the true decision makers. Von der Leyen and the parliament agree on a larger role of the EU. It’s the nation states who just ignore it or dial everything down to the worst possible compromise.
you’re coming with reason and logic on FB…not many left :(
Because government’s are doing their jobs for a change — putting their citizens wellbeing first.
Because it is a bureaucracy with unelected leadership, chosen by polutical bargain in name of corporations.
Exactly we are going to think social distancing because the world cannot stop
It is because the pandemic has affected member states differently for politicians and parties have different political agenda. When life and economy are weighed differently, Europe cannot solve the crisis together. The pandemic is killing people more than any war in contemporary Europe. The pandemic is a new type of warfare i.e. man against virus. If EU leaders have not the courage to declare a state of emergence or even a state of war, there is always room for individuals and interest groups to drag the anti-pandemic and life-saving effort.