When countries are united

The fate of Europe in the era of coronavirus

"New" publishes a chapter from a new book dedicated to the "Coronavirus Coronavirus", preparing for the press. The work of Vitaliy Shklyarov and Andrzej Belovorenin “Peace on pause” enters the publisher of Corpus.

In theory, fighting pandemia together should be easier. The most powerful union of states on our planet is now European. Did he really help his members? Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that the European Union as a project as a result of a coronavirus crisis may fail: “If we do not use the opportunity to breathe new life into a European project, the risk of collapse is real.”

However, this tough criticism from the Italian prime minister can be explained by the fact that the EU once again refused to release the Eurobonds, which in the current conditions called “coronabonds”. The essence of these papers is to make the state debts of each of the European Union countries, which all countries will pay in jointly. It is logical that it was Italia for such a measure by all hands (which has the largest debt after Greece, which was ruined during the mortgage crisis of 2007-2008). And against - Germany, which copes with its debts best of all.

Italy: "We owe here, help, pay part of the debt for us."

Germany: “From what fright do we have to pay for you if you do not know how to the economy? The EU is still a union of partners, not a single social camp. ”

They cannot agree.

This dispute is old, he is already ten years old - it has been conducted just from the last crisis. So the coronavirus and the European Works are here in the fourteenth place, and in the first - money and politics. So is there any benefit from the European Union during the crisis or none? Depends on what to call. And - what to call the European Union. For example, at the end of January 2020, the European Commission from Brussels asked the member states the question: how are you doing in general? Are you ready for coronavirus, if that? How are you with medical supplies, are there enough masks and others?

And what's interesting! All member states replied: yes, we have everything okay! The reserves are stumbled, there are nowhere to put doctors, we do not need anything, we wander further.

And after a couple of weeks it began in Italy, and then - everywhere. And it turned out that there is nothing! That is, it turns out that the European Union, as a bureaucratic structure, tried to warn the crisis. Honestly did his job. But the European Union as a combination of states on this anxiety spit in the style of chapcocking: maybe nothing will happen. When the current crisis struck, the EU decided to help those who have everything bad with medical reserves. Announced the competition. But there was nowhere to buy it:

All countries that masks produce themselves now now buy them in full for their own needs.

And in extreme cases, help is faster to direct from the country to the country than through the second hands, that is, through the EU.

The European Union is not another batman's batman who sits somewhere on the cloud and from there can he warm up semolina. This is the union of those very countries, each of which experiences difficulties in itself. And if countries are foolish, then the EU will not be able to help them. The same thing with plans to get out of the crisis. In different EU countries, the epidemic is developing in the same way. Someone copes quite well, like Norway or Austria, and is already starting to slowly open businesses. But in Italy, Spain, France in mid -April, nothing is still clear. The EU proposed to develop a roadmap on the exit of quarantine - for all countries together and each separately. Where and what to open: shops, schools, museums, borders - so that no one suddenly shows.

But for now, I had to withdraw the initiative: those countries in which everything is bad, claim that if the EU is talking about the “exit strategy” now, then it will be even more difficult to retain their citizens on self -isolation.

So far, it turns out that the European Union to combat pandemia is almost useless. Does this mean that he is useless at all? No, because it was created for the "peaceful" times in which it works great. One pan -European currency is worth a lot! Not to mention a single customs space.

Does this mean that the EU will always be useless in a crisis situation? This is a really interesting question! In the current form, there are few EU structures. Logical conclusion: after the end of the crisis, to revise the entire venture and give the EU more powers in case of crisis situations. However, this can turn the European Union into the very supranational monster that his critics are so afraid of. We will get, they say, a new social camp - and the end of democracy. Including, for this reason, Great Britain decided to leave the EU. So there is a risk.

How will the participating countries end up, will they strengthen their union in case of the next crisis or will decide to leave it as it is? Rather, the second, but we will see.

By the way, it is interesting that the issue of Britain’s exit from the EU due to the pandemic is postponed. Not least because the main negotiators on both sides, David Frost and Michel Barnier, themselves fell ill with coronavirus. Until July 1, it was necessary to decide whether the transition period was extended. What would be logical in the current conditions. But here is the problem:

Boris Johnson introduced a clause from the EU to the law that the transition period cannot be renewed. Apparently you have to break it!

Because if Britain leaves the EU on January 1, 2021, having not finished all questions to the end, then many trade relations will collapse, the supply chains will be broken, which is fraught with another crisis, this time completely artificial. Of course, in connection with Pandemia, the role of the UN will be discussed again. And of course, again the accusations of “impotence” and “obsolete” of this organization will sound. Like, he can’t cope with his work, he cannot call for order anyone, to help anyone - too. But these accusations will be as meaningless as in relation to the European Union. If the UN will make more stringent and bold decisions, then in the end it will turn into a global gendarme. The very appearance of which everyone is so afraid. Rather, many countries dream of having this gendarme on their side, but do not want to be on the side of his opponents. The UN is the sum of the countries existing on our planet. Average hospital. What countries, such and the UN.

Do you really want the world government to appear - only to help us fight crises?

The ancients said: "It is high to God, far from the king." So, it will not reach the emperor of mankind at all, even the longest cap. The UN after the pandemic will not change. It will remain impotent and obsolete with a structure. And very good!

Note: history knows positive examples of unification against epidemics of even warring states. In 1959, at a WHO session, Viktor Zhdanov, Viktor Zhdanov, suddenly offered to declare the world to the world of the Osopa virus and eliminate it throughout the globe. Then the bold project was left without proper attention, but only until the moment when Black Ospois visited Moscow in 1960. It turned out that for some reason, the old vaccinations did not act, there were many deaths, panic, and abral. True, the headquarters under the personal leadership of Khrushchev managed to work as a lead: the strictest quarantine, 7 million residents of the capital were vaccinated in just a couple of weeks, the flash was repaid. But after that, the suffered fear of the USSR was sharply imbued with the idea of ​​victory over the insidious virus, allocated both doctors and funds. Other countries supported it, I joyfully took up the case, which took only ten years. Despite any Cold War, cooperation took place, and the virus was destroyed throughout the Earth. In 1976, the last sick was registered, and in 1980, she announced that it was no longer necessary to vaccinate children from smallpox in the world!