In Spain, the opposition and the government tone down their confrontation to work together as a common front to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly before, the Belgian Prime Minister received special powers to address the emergency, with the implicit opposition agreement, in a country who has gone through several months of difficulty to constitute a government. In France, the president decrees the complete confinement of citizens by also announcing that he suspends all ongoing political reforms, including the controversial pension reform, so that the debate in parliament only focuses on managing the crisis. This pandemic has placed the European political class facing towards its responsibilities to avoid or contain a dramatic scenario for the population, forcing them to prioritize the priorities of the people over their political divergences. In their favor, Europeans count on democratic governments, democratic institutions and the fact that this pandemic does not surprise them in a pre-existing humanitarian emergency.
On their part, the member States of the European Union have begun to suspend the Schengen treaty, which allows the free movement of people, and have closed their borders, while at the same time, the European Union, as a bloc, decides to close its external borders for 30 days. These decisions are part of Community agreements and are supported by the institutions of the European Union. Even one of its institutions, the European Commission, has issued border control guidelines that seek to ensure health and access to essential services and goods. In their favor, Europeans have a regional organization that, despite its failures, allows to reach agreements, to coordinate strategies and to build a common policy especially during a major emergency.
But the measures taken by States and their multilateral organizations are useless if citizens do not assume their own social responsibilities. The images of the bars and terraces of Paris in a holiday atmosphere were an example of great citizen irresponsibility, since schools and universities had been closed down and people had been asked to stay at home. Today, France is under strict confinement that includes the army’s presence on the streets, being the latter called to intervene only at the most severe stage of the measures. It is striking that the safe passage mechanism implemented in that country is a letter that is available on the Internet, that can be printed or transcribed by hand, that the citizens themselves fill, sign and carry with them saying that they go out to do one of the five activities for which human movement is allowed (purchase of food, medicines, a mandatory family visit, etc.). It is not the authorities who issue safe passage letters but the citizens themselves in the exercise of their social responsibility. In their favor, the French have had years of democracy that have consolidated democratic control mechanisms, to frame citizens within their duties even in situations of extreme crisis.
It is not about making a Eurocentric exaltation of a role model. The European Union has many shortcomings and its member States face major internal and community challenges for their own democracies. But it is important to weigh the value of democracies and regional integration institutions such as the European Union, to deal with humanitarian emergencies such as the one created by this pandemic. Not in vain, the European Union, as well as the United Nations, arise as a result of the terrible experiences of World War II. Hence their value in terms of promoting coexistence mechanisms, dialogue and conflict resolution.
Translated by: Angélica Díaz.
