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EU needs cohesion to win over Covid-19 challenge

They now face a grim watershed: whether people can cooperate to beat back the deadly infection or continue to dismiss, delay and debate their way to greater disaster.

Even with the rollout of vaccines, devastating waves of coronavirus infections continue to ravage European Union (EU) member countries.

They now face a grim watershed: whether people can cooperate to beat back the deadly infection or continue to dismiss, delay and debate their way to greater disaster.

Both within countries and the wider EU, nations will need to show the political will, leadership and organization needed to vaccinate the majority of the bloc’s population of 460 million (m), a wildly heterogeneous mix of peoples, language, cultures – and perhaps most importantly, opinions – more known for their fractiousness than their cohesion.

The European Commission (EC) secured more than 2 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines last June.

If it all goes to plan, the EU’s vaccine programme could go down as one of the greatest achievements in the history of the European project.

But even approving the vaccines for use has been slow and with doses finally available, actual administration has been appalling sluggish in some countries.

In the face of a raging pandemic, a sizeable number of European doctors chose to take their usual Christmas holiday rather than join the strenuous effort required in an urgent medical emergency.

In France, only 500 vaccinations had been administered in the first week following approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on December 27, a number so paltry that officials faced a public outcry that was even joined by French President Emmanuel Macron.

“I am at war in the morning, noon, evening and night,” Macron, who recently himself recovered from novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), told the French media.

“I expect the same commitment from all. This won’t do. It must change quickly and firmly.”

The slow rollout was blamed on mismanagement, staffing shortages during holidays and a complex French consent policy designed to accommodate unusually broad anti-vax sentiment in the country.

By comparison, Germany administered more than 200,000 vaccinations in the first week following EU approval. By January 5 it had vaccinated 316,960 citizens.

In Spain, implementation has also been slow, but the country did manage to administer more than 82,000 of the 718,535 doses it had been allocated by January 4.

In addition to staff shortages due to the Christmas-New Year holiday, health officials blamed difficulty in transport of the vaccine from Britain, which finally sealed a Brexit agreement, affecting borders with the EU. The United Kingdom (UK) has also seen the rise of a new virus variant, leading to additional restrictions on movement.

In Italy it was the same story over Christmas. Citizens of the hard-hit Lombardy region were outraged to learn that inoculations were placed on standby over the holiday period. Giulio Gallera, Lombardy health minister, justified the delay by saying “doctors and nurses who have 50 days of overdue leave, I did not let them return to service to give a vaccine on holidays”.

Also irritating some is the ongoing Italian obsession with artsy appearances instead of prosaic action. With the highest Covid-19 death toll in the EU, Italy proudly unveiled designs for “primrose pavilions” featuring the traditional first bloom of spring, buildings naturally designed by a noted architect, in this case Stefano Boeri. But instead of pretty pavilions, many would rather see better logistics, a sense of urgency and a dire commitment to defeating a virus that doesn’t take holidays or care how clever a logo is.

In the first week after the vaccine was approved for use in the EU, Italy reported it had administered about 100,000 vaccinations. By January 5 the number had risen to 247,000.

Even in Germany, impatience is growing.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert promised that “some things can and will improve”.

But even with the best organised efforts another huge question looms: How much of the population will agree to be vaccinated? It’s no small issue in Europe and the US where anti-vax movements and conspiracy theories abound.

Again, it is France that could cause the greatest concern. According to an Ipsos poll in 15 counties in late December, only 40% of respondents in France said they would agree to receive a Covid-19 vaccination. The proportion was higher in Italy and Spain (both 62%) and Germany (65%).

In the UK, 77% said they are willing to be vaccinated. Experts say a threshold of 70% is needed to eradicate the virus. And the EU has had plenty of time to prepare. In addition to billions of vaccinations of doses reserved in the name of “science and solidarity”, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Luxembourg (as well as Switzerland, which is not in the EU) have joined together in a pact to coordinate the rollout and “rapid” sharing of information.

If it goes according to plan, the EU’s vaccine program could become a high point in the history of the bloc. It would also come at a crucial moment for the project. At times in recent years the EU itself has appeared to be on life support.

Fuelled by the UK’s departure along with a surge in nationalist parties and Eurosceptic attitudes across the continent, the EU’s reputation has taken a battering.

Early on in the coronavirus crisis underlying tensions were further exposed in an unseemly nationalistic bidding war for personal protective equipment.

In July, the bloc spent days battling over terms of a landmark €750b (Dh3,397.97b) coronavirus recovery fund, a bailout scheme that links payouts with adherence to the rule of law and democratic ideals, including an independent judiciary.

And in autumn, member states spent more than a month squabbling over proposals to streamline travel guidelines around quarantine and testing.

It’s certainly not what Ursula Von der Leyden had in mind as she prepared to take up her post as the new president of the EC on December 1 last year. Her signature policy was meant to be the “Green Deal”, an unprecedented effort and investment in battling climate change. The foe has instead been microscopic. Ravaged by an unexpected virus, the EU now more than ever needs to be resolute, unrelenting and united.

Lives are literally on the line.

Jon Van Housen and Mariella Radaelli are journalists based in Milan