Centrifugal dynamic: Could Covid-19 blow up EU's future?
Mário Centeno, the head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said they had come close to a deal and talks would continue on Thursday. Photograph: Twitter/Mario Centeno
This is a question that looms over the head of a considerable part of the European societies since the beginning of the pandemic crisis. It is also a question that pertains daily discussions behind closed doors in many European capitals.
The deep-rooted, negative consequences of the financial crisis back in 2008 have intensified such concerns over the future of the EU. To a certain degree, a part of the electorate expressed these concerns by supporting extreme political parties that pretended to be "anti-systemic" but in turn they were literally endorsing far-right and divisive policies. Nonetheless, the biggest part of the European electorate has decided to show its disappointment by abstaining from national elections and the European Elections.
Today, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the EU shows the same signs of fear and weakness, as in the period of the financial crisis. The response against the pandemic by the institutions is even more problematic compared to that of the recession of 2008 onwards. The Union does not seem to unite the political leaders as it should, whereas the once bolstered "European vision" has been faded and distanced itself from the citizens and their collective demands. The immense challenge of the coronavirus unveils how the European Commission, the Council and the Eurogroup have lost sight on what is going on within the societies, the concerns of the people, the social reality, and they can no longer even fulfil their procedural tasks.
Europe, one of the richest regions globally, cannot boost a generous pact to address Covid-19 and support national economies. EU is more concerned on how to maintain fiscal targets and the cost of public expenses rather than dealing with the pandemic efficiently and minimise the long-term social cost. At the same time, the institutions seem proud of the "European way of life", but this way is ultra-conservative and outdated. The institutions feel safe amid perplexed rules and procedures, but ignore social change, ongoing challenges and shifts posed by the citizens. The institutions are lenient to cases like Orban, but play their card blatantly in the case of Greece, when pressing for the lift of safety nets for the primary residences against foreclosures.
The European establishment, as it stands today, seems unattractive and inflexible. As long as stiff bureaucracy overshadows social reality in the member-states and put emphasis on the fiscal cost rather than in addressing the coronavirus, political parties and leaders that call for the dissolution of the EU will keep growing. The merits of independent fiscal policy against Eurozone will start luring the societies and the electorate will start feeling useful and powerful by participating in the electoral processes. As long as the EU feels suffocated in tiny details, its role and standing will start diminishing. The EU that was once built on the fundamental values of solidarity, social prosperity and economic cohesion has nothing to do with today's phobic Union.
* Dimitris Rapidis is founder of Bridging Europe and Roxanne Gobet is political analyst at Bridging Europe.
9.4.2020
The deep-rooted, negative consequences of the financial crisis back in 2008 have intensified such concerns over the future of the EU. To a certain degree, a part of the electorate expressed these concerns by supporting extreme political parties that pretended to be "anti-systemic" but in turn they were literally endorsing far-right and divisive policies. Nonetheless, the biggest part of the European electorate has decided to show its disappointment by abstaining from national elections and the European Elections.
Today, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the EU shows the same signs of fear and weakness, as in the period of the financial crisis. The response against the pandemic by the institutions is even more problematic compared to that of the recession of 2008 onwards. The Union does not seem to unite the political leaders as it should, whereas the once bolstered "European vision" has been faded and distanced itself from the citizens and their collective demands. The immense challenge of the coronavirus unveils how the European Commission, the Council and the Eurogroup have lost sight on what is going on within the societies, the concerns of the people, the social reality, and they can no longer even fulfil their procedural tasks.
Europe, one of the richest regions globally, cannot boost a generous pact to address Covid-19 and support national economies. EU is more concerned on how to maintain fiscal targets and the cost of public expenses rather than dealing with the pandemic efficiently and minimise the long-term social cost. At the same time, the institutions seem proud of the "European way of life", but this way is ultra-conservative and outdated. The institutions feel safe amid perplexed rules and procedures, but ignore social change, ongoing challenges and shifts posed by the citizens. The institutions are lenient to cases like Orban, but play their card blatantly in the case of Greece, when pressing for the lift of safety nets for the primary residences against foreclosures.
The European establishment, as it stands today, seems unattractive and inflexible. As long as stiff bureaucracy overshadows social reality in the member-states and put emphasis on the fiscal cost rather than in addressing the coronavirus, political parties and leaders that call for the dissolution of the EU will keep growing. The merits of independent fiscal policy against Eurozone will start luring the societies and the electorate will start feeling useful and powerful by participating in the electoral processes. As long as the EU feels suffocated in tiny details, its role and standing will start diminishing. The EU that was once built on the fundamental values of solidarity, social prosperity and economic cohesion has nothing to do with today's phobic Union.
* Dimitris Rapidis is founder of Bridging Europe and Roxanne Gobet is political analyst at Bridging Europe.
9.4.2020