We are currently seeing unprecedented measures in Europe to fight Covid-19. However, we are missing a true European response; instead, each Member State is doing its own thing, with little coordination.
We at Generation 2004 are disappointed by the uncoordinated response from individual countries: instead of working together, each country and sometimes even each region of a country is acting alone, resulting in a cacophony of contradictory responses to the same problem. We have a situation where China, the country first hit by the virus, is sending aid to Italy – as, astonishingly, none of the other member states sent help. Some of them even introduced legislation prohibiting exportation of medical supplies out of their countries, eg. Germany and France, in a clear breach of EU principles and overarching Directives. Equally, Russia has sent medical supplies to Italy. What kind of European Union is this, where Member States have to beg for help around the globe? Where is any sign of basic human empathy or desperately needed support from EU Member States to one of their own? Will this be the beginning of the end of the EU?
This is why we support the petition started by a colleague, asking for a coordinated action on the European level. If you believe in this as well, we would like to ask you to sign it as well and spread the word: united against COVID-19 [1].