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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