How the European Union may not survive the Coronavirus

[Shadowferal]

European leaders warn coronavirus could lead to the breakup of their union

E.U. countries have begun to coordinate their efforts to procure supplies, and they have sent more aid to hard-hit Italy than China has. But the past week has seen a reemergence of a north-south rift over how to handle the economic response. The union is also being pulled east to west, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has used emergency powers to effectively suspend democracy, riding roughshod over Europe’s basic principles of the rule of law.

Collectively, these tensions could overwhelm the alliance.

“This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Nathalie Tocci, director of the International Affairs Institute in Italy. “The reason why coronavirus is such an epochal challenge is not that it brought things out of the blue. It touches on all spheres and does so by accentuating dynamics that are already there. It’s as if it is bringing the extreme out of everything.”

Norbert Röttgen, a German politician jockeying to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel, likened the continent’s infighting to “a grueling trench war,” as he joined the chorus of voices warning that the E.U. is in grave peril.

“The climate that seems to reign among heads of state and government and the lack of European solidarity pose a mortal danger to the European Union,” Jacques Delors, a 94-year-old French politician who played a leading role in the creation of the bloc’s modern form, warned in a rare statement.

The debate has reopened wounds that had just barely scarred over from the 2008 financial crisis, when Germany led Europeans in imposing painful austerity measures on Greece and Italy in exchange for financial assistance.

Now, with needs even more acute, some are left wondering: If the richer E.U. countries are not willing to support their struggling neighbors, what’s the point of membership at all?

The European Commission has gone to pains to point out acts of European “solidarity,” including how Germany and Luxembourg have taken in coronavirus patients from France and Italy. France has donated a million masks to Italy, while Germany has sent seven tons of medical gear, it pointed out in a recent fact sheet. The commission also has set up a joint stockpile of medical equipment.

But with the early reluctance to share supplies, and the resounding “no” from northern European countries on coronabonds, it’s been hard to compete with the television images of China flying in boxes of aid and Russian soldiers convoying into northern Italy.

“Europe really is going to have to come together and overcome its initial stumbles if it wants to win this battle of narratives,” said Noah Barkin, a senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund. “It really can’t afford to be seen as bickering at a time like this.”

While that applied during the financial crisis a decade ago, Barkin said, it’s even more crucial now, given “a much more hostile United States and a rising China, which has shown it’s going to take full advantage of this crisis to promote its own interests.”

[Mayhem]

snip

https://www.businessinsider.com/coro...20-3?r=DE&IR=T

"Russia sent Italy a military convoy of medical supplies to help with the coronavirus outbreak. Italy said it was useless and accused them of a PR stunt."

Russia trolling on a state level.

[ati87]

Despite the events of this week i still see the euro-bonds happening, because the alternative is China gaining ground in Europe and that is not something Germany or the Netherlands want, to name the two big opponents of this idea. They are also getting some criticism.

Russia is also trying a very odd charm offensive in Italy (disinfecting the streets in Italy, why Russia?), so i doubt that will sway Finland to rethink on this matter but who knows.

You know those so called charm offensives are a joke right, nobody bloody cares if they get some free stuff from country A or B.

[Acidbaron]

You know those so called charm offensives are a joke right, nobody bloody cares if they get some free stuff from country A or B.

Russia's yes it is, however don't underestimate it all. Remember the US Marshall Act? If there's a long term strategy behind it with a specific goal in mind what China has it is something to look out for. Crisis or not, China is still going full ahead with their modern day "Silk Road" plan.

[standrithal]

Not to mention the amazing law that anyone working for the state can never be fired no matter what.
So those that work for the state many times don't even show up for work. No one can fire them anyway...
Seriously that is an actual law!

Most government organizations close at 13:00 so that the dudes that did show up can go home and rest... after 5 hours of hard work!

Which is actually longer than most people work.

I can see here no one has any actual experience of work or a complete lack of self-awareness/perception.

Most people doing a 9-5 spend under 3 hours doing actual work. Mostly they are just sitting around checking social media, chatting, essentially looking busy and doing fuck all. Look at your workplace at people who think they are being watched and you see this happens literally everywhere.

So don't give the Greeks a hard time but you spend an extra 3 hours a day picking your nose and gossiping. That's not work, that's just f***ing stupid. The actual impact of the EU going to a 5 hour working week would be almost zero in the vast majority of sectors.

[ati87]

Russia's yes it is, however don't underestimate it all. Remember the US Marshall Act? If there's a long term strategy behind it with a specific goal in mind what China has it is something to look out for. Crisis or not, China is still going full ahead with their modern day "Silk Road" plan.

For all of it's faults you can not compare the US with Russia.
US often has been more of a partner/leader during times of crisis something neither China or Russia is capable of doing.
Sure Trump and Bush has undermined this partner/leader role in recent times but that's a different discussion.

Marshall Plan was not just free money to buy American goods you know, there where series of reforms and long term goals that allowed for the successful reconstruction of Europe which America benefited greatly from it. Reforms that neither China or Russia would support at any time in there history.

[DeEva]

terrible situation ... I can’t even believe that this could happen. It’s like I got into the movie I am Legend

[Tuor]

[Grimbold21]

European leaders warn coronavirus could lead to the breakup of their union

E.U. countries have begun to coordinate their efforts to procure supplies, and they have sent more aid to hard-hit Italy than China has. But the past week has seen a reemergence of a north-south rift over how to handle the economic response. The union is also being pulled east to west, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has used emergency powers to effectively suspend democracy, riding roughshod over Europe’s basic principles of the rule of law.

Collectively, these tensions could overwhelm the alliance.

“This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Nathalie Tocci, director of the International Affairs Institute in Italy. “The reason why coronavirus is such an epochal challenge is not that it brought things out of the blue. It touches on all spheres and does so by accentuating dynamics that are already there. It’s as if it is bringing the extreme out of everything.”

Norbert Röttgen, a German politician jockeying to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel, likened the continent’s infighting to “a grueling trench war,” as he joined the chorus of voices warning that the E.U. is in grave peril.

“The climate that seems to reign among heads of state and government and the lack of European solidarity pose a mortal danger to the European Union,” Jacques Delors, a 94-year-old French politician who played a leading role in the creation of the bloc’s modern form, warned in a rare statement.

The debate has reopened wounds that had just barely scarred over from the 2008 financial crisis, when Germany led Europeans in imposing painful austerity measures on Greece and Italy in exchange for financial assistance.

Now, with needs even more acute, some are left wondering: If the richer E.U. countries are not willing to support their struggling neighbors, what’s the point of membership at all?

The European Commission has gone to pains to point out acts of European “solidarity,” including how Germany and Luxembourg have taken in coronavirus patients from France and Italy. France has donated a million masks to Italy, while Germany has sent seven tons of medical gear, it pointed out in a recent fact sheet. The commission also has set up a joint stockpile of medical equipment.

But with the early reluctance to share supplies, and the resounding “no” from northern European countries on coronabonds, it’s been hard to compete with the television images of China flying in boxes of aid and Russian soldiers convoying into northern Italy.

“Europe really is going to have to come together and overcome its initial stumbles if it wants to win this battle of narratives,” said Noah Barkin, a senior visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund. “It really can’t afford to be seen as bickering at a time like this.”

While that applied during the financial crisis a decade ago, Barkin said, it’s even more crucial now, given “a much more hostile United States and a rising China, which has shown it’s going to take full advantage of this crisis to promote its own interests.”

There's what? 3 people quoted in that article? And none of them are European leaders

[Mayhem]

Fucking france stole masks from a swedish company. Large share of the masks were going to go to italy or spain but france just stole them. Fuck france. This should result in sanctions.

https://www.svd.se/frankrike-beslagt...venskt-foretag

old news are old

Already resolved.

[Mayhem]

A month later. Fuck France.

What do you mean with a month later? The news you've posted was from 4 days ago the link I posted was from 3 days ago.

[Mayhem]

They stopped them 5th of March.

Ah, got it, yeah, they weren't the only ones but it was a shit move.

[CostinR]

The top EU scientist has resigned in anger over Europe's failure to handle the coronavirus properly.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...esponse-174108

In a nearly 1,000-word statement published by the Financial Times, Ferrari described a breakdown in relations between himself and the EU agency he was appointed last May to oversee, citing an “internal political thunderstorm” involving the highest levels of the European Commission.

“I have been extremely disappointed by the European response to Covid-19,” said Ferrari.

As well as a failure to fund scientists to tackle the crisis, Ferrari cited a “complete absence of coordination of health care policies among member states, the recurrent opposition to cohesive financial support initiatives, the pervasive one-sided border closures, and the marginal scale of synergistic scientific initiatives” by the EU.

[Pann]

Whilst is it is not all that unsurprising that Italians don't particularly trust the EU at present it is worrisome that China seems to gaining popularity.

https://twitter.com/Erik_Jones_SAIS/...84223188361217

[tromage2]

The top EU scientist has resigned in anger over Europe's failure to handle the coronavirus properly.

And the population is angry at WHO to not been able to handle this infection, basicly WHO is useless and did a poor job together with China.

[Acidbaron]

https://www.votewatch.eu/blog/how-co...-battleground/

Our newest report looks at the impact of the ongoing crisis on the upcoming budgetary negotiations. We found that, far from helping bridge the gaps, the current malaise is likely to harden the positions of the players involved. While the previous state of play featured an East-West divide on the main budgetary priorities, the increasing rift between North and South adds further complexity to the negotiations.

Interesting read for those wanting to keep up to date.

[Pannonian]

The top EU scientist has resigned in anger over Europe's failure to handle the coronavirus properly.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...esponse-174108

Two different sources, 2 different stories:

https://erc.europa.eu/news/resignati...SPy3SpMe20YBOA

Looks to me like he's the wrong person in the wrong time, didn't accept that, tried to meddle in things not his job and when called out quit and tried to burn the house down.

I rather trust the word of the whole council than one pissed man, especially since: "All 19 active ERC members say they asked him to resign on 27 March, b/c he did not understand ERC mission."

[Acidbaron]

Two different sources, 2 different stories:

https://erc.europa.eu/news/resignati...SPy3SpMe20YBOA

Looks to me like he's the wrong person in the wrong time, didn't accept that, tried to meddle in things not his job and when called out quit and tried to burn the house down.

I rather trust the word of the whole council than one pissed man, especially since: "All 19 active ERC members say they asked him to resign on 27 March, b/c he did not understand ERC mission."

Oh nice find, well i am highly sceptical for anyone inside the EU who's nation depends on its support, still wishes its collapse and for some weird reason praises Trump, despite it being one of the most protectionist government in years.


Meanwhile the divided between Italy and The Netherlands keeps growing, it doesn't help that they were on bad terms even before this crisis began.

[Fuiking]

Oh nice find, well i am highly sceptical for anyone inside the EU who's nation depends on its support, still wishes its collapse and for some weird reason praises Trump, despite it being one of the most protectionist government in years.


Meanwhile the divided between Italy and The Netherlands keeps growing, it doesn't help that they were on bad terms even before this crisis began.

Netherlands is super unflexible and refusing... not suprised.. They act like autists.

[Acidbaron]

Netherlands is super unflexible and refusing... not suprised.. They act like autists.

There's two sides to this whole NL/IT conflict to be honest and it doesn't paint a pretty picture of either side.