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BRUSSELS With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus, the flattened world has developed a few speed bumps. With trade disrupted and economies paralyzed, some consider that the nation-state is back, as if it ever went away.

For countries like the United States, China and Russia, that is normality. But for the European Union, this continuing experiment in shared sovereignty, borderless trade and freedom of movement, the virus has been a serious systemic shock. Some have even wondered if the bloc itself could shatter under the pressure.

But after a fumbling start, the European Union and its institutions, including the European Central Bank, have begun to cope better with the new challenge of Europe as the epicenter of the virus.

Huge issues remain to be resolved, however. The whole concept of European solidarity is being challenged.

The question, said Marc Pierini of Carnegie Europe, is a pretty simple one: Can an E.U.-level response to this massive crisis prove to citizens that the E.U. will protect them and show solidarity?

The answer so far has been mixed. There is no doubt that the first impulse of important states, like Germany and Austria, was to retreat within their borders, which were being reestablished in panic.

[Update: Boris Johnson, U.K. Prime Minister, has the coronavirus.]

Despite increased efforts from Brussels, six countries still have export bans on medical equipment: Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. France has nationalized its supplies, and 12 states have put up internal borders, blocking the easy transport of goods through the bloc.

But even as some borders have remained closed to combat the spread of the virus, that initial flinching is steadily giving way to pressure from large states, like France, Italy and Spain, joined by six others, to do more collectively, especially financially, to issue a common debt instrument, a kind of Eurobond for the virus to help afflicted countries.

For now, that idea is opposed by the more frugal northern states like the Netherlands and Germany, which think there are other ways to help Italy and Spain, but it will surely be discussed Thursday evening, when European leaders meet in a teleconferenced summit.

The meeting is part of Europes deepening effort at coordination, after a faltering start.

We need to be pretty honest and say that the initial E.U. response was chaotic and belated, said Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska of the Center for European Reform in Brussels.

It was obvious by the end of last year that the virus would come to Europe, she said, but even after it developed in Italy, member states took center stage while the commission, the blocs executive arm, and other E.U. institutions were rather absent, and the harm was done, playing into the hands of Euroskeptics.

As Europe dithered, states recreated internal borders, damaging the single market. Germany in particular has come under criticism for initially banning the export of supplies like masks, protective gear and medical equipment.

Once the commission came up with a European Union-wide restriction on exports, Germany lifted its own, but that took some time. Since then it has shown more solidarity by accepting some coronavirus patients from Italy and France.

Only now is the bloc organizing 50 million euros about $54 million to buy needed medical equipment to distribute to hospitals where it is most needed.

Embarrassingly for Europes leaders, and even for the United States, it was China that stepped in early with medical aid.

The fault for Europes fractured response lies mostly with member states, argued Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive at the European Policy Center in Brussels.

If there is an ineffective European response, a lot has to do with what the member states do, he said. E.U. institutions need to do the right thing, but they need the permission of member states to act.

There was confusion at the beginning, Mr. Zuleeg said. People didnt grasp the magnitude of the crisis, he said. Different countries took different approaches and the commission was uncertain what to do.

There is still a huge risk to the union, said Daniela Schwarzer, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. All the disintegrative tendencies can accelerate.

Even when Chancellor Angela Merkel made a rare national address on the crisis a week ago, she failed to mention Europe at all.

It was possible to frame a national approach in a European perspective, Ms. Schwarzer said, noting that President Emmanuel Macron of France did so, emphasizing the Europe that protects, but Ms. Merkel did not.

A senior adviser to Mr. Macron noted that Europeans have now provided as many masks to Italy as China, but given the delay, they are getting little credit for it.

Mistakes were made for sure, there was some flip-flopping, hesitations, but thats the case everywhere in the world, the official said. When we see whats going on in the United States today, Europe is not the continent thats the least organized.

Part of the problem for Brussels is structural. Health, like terrorism, is considered an issue of national security and is the responsibility of individual member states.

According to the governing treaties, while Brussels has exclusive competence over trade, and has shared competence with member states over matters like agriculture and the single market, on health it can only encourage cooperation among states, promote research and complement national policies.

Europes best instrument in a crisis, then, is money. While it could have acted faster, the European Central Bank on March 19 came up with a huge and unparalleled plan for further quantitative easing a bond-buying plan of up to 750 billion, some 6 percent of eurozone gross domestic product with the promise of more if necessary.

The European Commission has relaxed its rules on state aid to companies and on limits to annual fiscal deficits, and the European Investment Bank has promised up to 40 billion so far in financing, to help with liquidity for companies.

But more will be needed, especially as the size of the economic hit becomes clearer in a bloc that already had anemic growth.

Germany is crucial, and policy changes slowly with the current coalition. But Germany has moved, or has been pushed to move, further toward economic support of member states, Mr. Zuleeg said.

Given that no country can be blamed for being hit by the virus, there is a clear reason to show solidarity, he said.

There is growing recognition that no member state can handle the crisis on its own, but whether that strengthens the European Union in the hazy aftermath of the pandemic is hardly clear. There are already calls for the commission to work to coordinate how the crisis ends, given the economic and human disruption, to avoid the chaos of the start.

We dont know if Europe will become stronger, since were really only at the beginning of this pandemic whose course we dont yet know, said Franois Heisbourg, a French analyst.

The E.U. may strengthen if it demonstrates measures relevant to the crisis and if it can use its scale to overcome the limitations of purely national policies, he said. But the fuss over borders is exaggerated, he added.

The virus travels with the person, so borders are relevant, he said. People talked about how catastrophic it was to have temporary borders between France and Germany, about Europe splintering, Mr. Heisbourg added. But not everything is geopolitical. You cant fight this without borders. Its about the logic of taming the epidemic.

If populists criticize the performance of Brussels, the pandemic is also an argument for giving Brussels more power over health research, standards and the coordination of policies, he argued.

Mr. Zuleeg agrees. When it comes to cross-border issues like this we need to set up ways to react quickly, he said. We had to do it in the financial and monetary field with the debt crisis, and now well have to do it in health. Not because someone wants a bigger Europe, but because we need to do it. We are interdependent across borders.

Monika Pronczuk contributed research from Brussels.

Read more from the original source:
Europe Fumbled Coronavirus at First. Can It Manage the Pandemic Now? - The New York Times

The EU rejects the decision by the Russian authorities to include the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) on their list of undesirable organisations.

The EED is a values-based organisation set up by the European Union and its Member States, which represents tenets and principles that are also enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and shared by many other countries around the world.

The EU urges the relevant Russian authorities to reconsider its legislation on undesirable organisations, and remove the European Endowment for Democracy and other international and foreign donor organisations that have had to terminate their operations aimed at strengthening civil society in the Russian Federation, from the list of undesirable organisations. The Russian legislation on undesirable organisations and foreign agents contributes to restricting civil society, independent media and the rights of political opposition and has a negative impact on the work of civil society in Russia.

We urge the authorities of the Russian Federation to review current legislation in order to bring it in line with its own commitments under European and international human rights law including the relevant Venice Commission opinions.

Read the original post:
Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on listing the European Endowment for Democracy as an undesirable organisation - EU News

The virus has killed more people in Italy than anywhere else in the world, but it was China, not its ... [+] neighbours who first came to its rescue.(Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)

Europe is facing its biggest crises since the Second World War with the invisible killer COVID-19 putting a strain on the Unions founding treaty of solidarity and adding a side effect of nationalism.

The virus has killed more people in Italy than anywhere else in the world, but its neighbors did not come to its rescue until much later Instead, it was China who first sent a planeload of respirators and masks to the country.

Free movement of goods and people is a key pillar of the European Union but that has been scraped with countries sealing off their own borders.

In an unprecedented move, many Schengen nations, such as the Czech Republic, France and Germany, started closing their frontiers even before the European Commission announced it would close the external EU border for 30 days.

Border closures due to coronavirus have meant couples like these on the Danish-German frontier can ... [+] no longer visit each other. (Photo by Frank Molter/picture alliance via Getty Images)

With no date set on when countries will re-open their borders, its every country for itself with some member states placing export bans on medical equipment.

Polandreportedlyblocked the export of hundreds of thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer destined for Norway, demanding the Norwegian company instead sent the product for use in Polish hospitals.

"The coronavirus crisis has been a test of EU capacity for coordination and a missed opportunity for intra-European solidarity, said Marga Gual Soler, a scholar at World Academy of Sciences and ex-advisor to the former EU Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas on science diplomacy.

She said while the EU cannot impose measures on member states, health and research ministers could come together in a common strategy for testing, quarantine and mobility measures, and joint research on drugs and vaccines.

The pandemic has also revealed how sharing health data has been tricky due to the differences in testing methods across EU member states.

Sharing the science behind coronavirus has been difficult across the EU.

The fragmented way that EU countries have responded to the outbreak for example in the different way how even infections and deaths are recorded shows the lack of and need for European crisis management capacities, said an EU supported group of researchers,Using Science for/in Diplomacy for Addressing Global Challenges.

But there is a bigger argument brewing in Brussels amid fears of a global recession and the economic impact of the virus.

During an EU video summit on 26 March, leaders could not agree on economic measures to lessen the financial blow caused by the pandemic.

Nine EU countries, including Italy, France and Spain are arguing in favor of so-

The European Commission President slammed EU members for not working together. (AP Photo/Olivier ... [+] Matthys)

called corona bonds to share the financial burden across the bloc.

By giving a clear message that we are facing this unique shock all together, we would strengthen the EU and the Economic and Monetary Union and ... provide the strongest message to our citizens about European determined cooperation and resolve to provide an effective and united response, they said in a joint letter ahead of the summit.

But the more frugal northern countries, including the Netherlands and Germany, argue against the move, afraid the Club Med countries could then exploit the crisis to push previous demands for eurozone members to pool public debt.

Italy and Spain now need immediate support to tackle the virus and will need support to cushion the financial and economic fallout, said Janis A. Emmanouilidis from the European Policy Centre.

One major lesson from previous crises (such as the migration crisis) is the EU will have to react strongly and quickly to stop it spiraling out of control and increasing the cost, he added.

Despite European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen heavily criticizing the lack of solidarity between members in saying when Europe really needed to be there for each other, too many initially looked out for themselves, there have been efforts to unite the bloc.

German hospitals took a handful of Italy's coronavirus patients for treatment. (Photo by Hendrik ... [+] Schmidt / POOL / AFP) (Photo by HENDRIK SCHMIDT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

German hospitals began treating patients who had arrived from Italy this week and the EU approved $54 million to be used on medical equipment for Europes stretched hospitals and a fund of almost $900 for the hardest-hit members.

While those measures could have come in sooner, Europe showed it could come to its members rescue when the European Central Bank soothed fears on March 19 by creating a 750 billion (over $837 million) emergency bond-buying plan and promised further measures if needed.

Von der Leyen also announced a revision to the EUs budget proposal on 28 March to deal with the economic blow caused by the pandemic.

As the EU begins to fuse together on health care and economic measures, sending an important message to its citizens that it is unified, the bloc will have to prove it can cope and deal with the crisis.

But before that, there is an immediate need for member states to coordinate with each other to tackle the mid and long term political and economic challenges.

Excerpt from:
Coronavirus Infects Europe With More Divisions And Nationalist Spirit - Forbes

The latest incidents on the Kenya-Somalia border and the recent build-up of security forces in the Gedo region have created instability and resulted in casualties and large-scale displacement of civilians. This has had a severe humanitarian impact notably on vulnerable women and children. The fighting in Galmudug at the end of February has also fuelled tensions. Overall, these situations are extremely serious. Furthermore, they divert assets and attention away from military operations against al-Shabaab in Lower and Middle Shabelle and jeopardize hard won stability in Somalia. They are also detrimental to Somalias relationships with its neighbours and partners. Urgent steps must be taken to de-escalate.

Full cooperation is needed between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States as well as amongst regional partners. Lasting solutions must be found to safeguard the ongoing efforts to degrade al-Shabaab, to build-up integrated Somali security forces and to create a secure and enabling environment for state building and development.

All parties involved should do everything necessary to reduce tensions, exercise restraint, respect the integrity of sovereign borders and seek peaceful resolution of differences between one another.

The European Union underlines the importance of stability and good cooperation among Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in their common border area where they have shared interests. The engagement and outreach from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, (IGAD) is welcomed in this regard, as well as the recent communication between the Presidents of Somalia and Kenya on 5March. An anticipated summit between the heads of state and government of Somalia and its neighbours is urgent. It should consider incorporating steps to verify and monitor the situation on the ground as a confidence building measure.

The European Union has always been a strong supporter of Somali state building, notably in the economic and security areas. Recently this commitment was translated into a firm support to Somalias debt relief process. The current military situation also calls for an urgent discussion on the state of implementation of agreed joint priorities in the political and security sphere.

This discussion is an important element to continue to strengthen the effective cooperation between Somalia and its international partners in the spirit of mutual accountability and partnership.

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Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the latest developments in Somalia - EU News

Italy is in lockdown. Schools and universities are closed, soccer games suspended, and restaurant visits banned amid a rapid spread of the novel coronavirus in the country. Just grocery stores and pharmacies are allowed to stay open, and only absolutely necessary travel is permitted. One might think that fellow European Union countries would count their blessings and send their Italian friends a few vital supplies, especially since the Italians have asked for it. They have sent nothing.

EU countries shameful lack of solidarity with the Italians points to a larger problem: What would European countries do if one of them faced an even greater crisis?

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism is the bland name under which the EUs crisis hubthe Emergency Response Coordination Centreoperates. It monitors natural and manmade disasters around the clock, and when an EU member state can no longer handle a crisis on its own it can turn to the crisis hub. The hub forwards the appeal to other member states, which can then volunteer assistance. (The assistance is later reimbursed by the recipient country.)

Two years ago, for example, with devastating forest fires spreading around the country, Sweden turned to the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, and Stockholms plea yielded a heartwarming response. Portugal sent two firefighting aircraft; Germany contributed five helicopters and 53 firefighters; Lithuania sent one helicopter and Norway eight. France dispatched 60 firefighters and two aircraft; Denmark sent 60 firefighters; Poland sent over 130 firefighters and more than 40 fire trucks. Italy, itself in a dangerous forest-fire season, sent two aircraft.

When the European helpers arrived in Sweden, locals greeted them with applause. It was a powerful illustration of a frequently forgotten reality: The European Union is about more than tedious financial transactions; its also about helping fellow European countries in need.

Last month, when COVID-19 began spreading rapidly in Italy, the country appealed for help via the Emergency Response Coordination Centre. We asked for supplies of medical equipment, and the European Commission forwarded the appeal to the member states, Italys permanent representative to the EU, Maurizio Massari, told me. But it didnt work.

So far, not a single EU member state has sent Italy the needed supplies. Thats tragic for a country with 21,157 coronavirus infections and 1,441 deaths as of March 14, and with medical staff working under severe shortages of supplies.

To be sure, all governments need to make sure they have enough supplies for their own hospitals, patients, and medical staff. But no European country is suffering remotely as badly as Italy. Spain and France have a high caseload, but as of March 14, Finland has just 225 cases, and Italys neighbor Austria only 655. Portugal has 169 cases; Ireland 90; Romania, 109; Poland, 93; Bulgaria, 37; and Hungary has 25 cases. Many of those countries have benefited greatly from European solidarity in the past; a number of them are net beneficiaries of the EU, meaning they get more money out of their membership than they pay into it. The United Kingdom, no longer a member of the European Union, has 1,140 coronavirus casesand it, too, has failed to help the Italians.

In the meantime, a partial and flawed savior has arrived. Close to midnight on March 12, a Chinese aircraft landed in Rome carrying nine medical experts and 31 tons of medical supplies including intensive care unit equipment, medical protective equipment, and antiviral drugs. Around the same time, a Chinese truck arrived in Italy bringing more than 230 boxes of medical equipment. It was less than Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi had promised Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio of Italy in a phone call on Tuesday, but two days after the phone call the supplies were on their way.

Italy has already had a taste of Europes lack of solidarity. During the 2015 refugee crisis some 1.7 million people arrived on EU territory, mostly in Italy and Greece (with Germany and Sweden the most common destinations), but in 2017 some EU member states were still refusing to accept them under a solidarity scheme. The coronavirus crisis is similar to the refugee crisis: Countries that are not immediately affected are mostly not willing to help, Massari said. Different countries obviously have different threat perceptions. We [Italy] feel that the coronavirus is a global and European threat that needs a European response, but other countries dont see it that way.

Europes selfishness is morally lamentable, and its unwise, because misery loves company. A struggling Italy will drag its European friends down, too, starting with their economies. But the cold response to Italys plea points to a larger issue: How would European allies respond in case of crisis even more devastating than the coronavirussay, a massive cyberattack that knocks out power for a prolonged period of time? Without electrical power, other critical functions quickly cease to function, too. Brno University Hospital home to one of the Czech Republics largest COVID-19 testing labshas already been hit by a serious cyber attack.

The fact that no countrywith the possible exception of Chinacan survive without close allies is the reason that NATO was founded 71 years ago and the European Coal and Steel Community three years later. NATOs member states are supposed to do their best to defend their countries, but they all know that they need one another: Collective defense is NATOs raison dtre. Only the United States has considerable supplies of ammunition; all the other member states know that they can turn to the U.S. military if they run out, as happened during NATOs 2011 intervention in Libya.

Yet at a moment of extreme hardship for a key EU (and NATO) member, Italys allies are showing that they cant be counted on in a severe crisisand that means Italy may increasingly turn toward China. It will remain stalwart member of the EU and NATO, but why should it support its various European allies next time theyre in a pinch? And why should it pay heed to European allies calls for it to reverse its participation in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, which it joined last year?

The Belt and Road, Chinas vast global infrastructure program, involves investments and constructions in a range of countries, primarily developing countries. Italy and China have, however, been deepening their cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative and beyond; last year, a police cooperation program saw Chinese police officers patrol the streets of Rome and Milan.

And why should Italy keep its some 6,000 troops on foreign missions, troops who lead and make up large parts of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and NATOs forces in Kosovo, soldiers who help defend Latvia as part of NATOs Enhanced Forward Presence, and sailors who participate in the EUs mission combating Somali piracy and who police the western Mediterranean for the benefit not just of Italy but the rest of Europe, too?

La maledizione! cries Rigoletto, the title character in Giuseppe Verdis famous opera. La maledizionethe cursesometimes seems to be Italys destiny. EU membership has been mostly good for Italy. Its economy has been propelled upward by the single market and the euro, and its citizens have benefited enormously from free movementsome 2.7 million Italians currently live in other EU member states. And Italians appreciate the alliance: a 2018 Pew Research Center survey showed that 58 percent of Italians have a favorable view of the EU, somewhat lower than the EU median of 62 percent but far higher than Greeces 37 percent. On March 13, the European Commission stepped in to at least help Italys economy, but so far no medical assistance from member states has materialized.

Indeed, with the current lack of solidarity, the EU might lose Italys affectionand China will happily continue to take advantage of the situation. That mustnt happen.

Instead, the EUs net beneficiaries (and low-coronavirus-count nations) such as Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Poland should send Italy face masks and whatever else the country might need. Indeed, would it be too much to ask those countries to fulfill their obligations under the EUs solidarity scheme?

Otherwise, dont expect Italian soldiers to come to the aid of European allies when Russia stages a surprise on a European country of its choice, or when a hostile state or its proxies knock out Polands power grid.

Read more from the original source:
The EU Is Abandoning Italy During the Coronavirus Crisis - Foreign Policy