ISSUE: 4/2020
- Volume 24
- Number 4
- 2020
Subscribe NEWSLETTER
Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Coherence on Trial: The Coronavirus Outbreak as a Critical Test for the European Union
Abstract
Starting in Wuhan in December 2019, and making its way all the way to Rome and New York in April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has put the states, alliances and others, square in the face of a serious challenge. However, the question that happens to be a stumbling block this time has never been posed as a problem or obstacle before – the question of public health; a question that has taught the European Union a lesson about what is a top priority and how all the other policies, plans and strategies may seem unimportant overnight. This paper provides an analysis on how the European Union coped with the global threat given its limited legal possibilities, and the unprecedented situation of its Member States becoming the second outbreak point of the pandemic. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic, once again, has opened up the question of solidarity and the coherence within the EU. The conclusions drawn from this research are of great importance as a way to show whether the EU will come out of this situation with a positive outcome, confi rming its values of solidarity and coherence, or whether it will have to undertake drastic reforms in order to consolidate the latter.
References
Besser L., Italy’s coronavirus disaster: At first, officials urged people to go out for an aperitif. Now, doctors must choose who dies, ABC News, https:// www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-18/what-went-wrong-with-how-italyhandled-coronavirus/12062242 (access 24.07.2020).
Borrel J., The post-coronavirus world is already here (policy brief), https://www.ecfr.eu/publications/summary/the_post_coronavirus_world_is_already_here?fbclid=IwAR0Xe0wdTnUxUiOrN1k790HIxYFW1Ddj 1vcJx_NeS09jvnBgpH0cDU3bSpg (access 24.07.2020).
Cambridge Dictionary, 2019, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/ english/coherence (access 8.10.2020).
Castaldi R., Europe needs initiative and leadership to overcome the crisis, Centro studi sul federalismo, “Perspectives of federalism”, vol. 2, issue 1/2020.
CGTN, ed., The lockdown: One month in Wuhan (motion picture), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU9FVqwO4TM&t=199s (access 10.08.2020).
Council of the European Union, Tackling COVID-19: Council adopts amended EU budget for 2020, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/ press-releases/2020/04/14/tackling-covid-19-council-adopts-amendedeu-budget-for-2020/ (access 10.08.2020).
Crossman A., Snowball Sample. About. com Sociology, http://sociology. about. com/od/Types-of-Samples/a/Snowball-Sample.htm (access 8.10.2020).
Cue C.E., More Spanish politicians confirm they have been infected with the coronavirus, El Pais, https://english.elpais.com/society/2020-03-13/more-spanish-politicians-confirm-they-have-been-infected-with-thecoronavirus.html (access 10.08.2020).
Eurogroup, Report on the comprehensive economic policy response to the COVID19 pandemic, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/ 2020/04/09/report-on-the-comprehensive-economic-policy-responseto-the-covid-19-pandemic/ (access 24.07.2020).
European Commission, Solidarity in Europe – Alive and active (policy review), https://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/policy_reviews/ solidarity_in_europe.pdf (access 24.07.2020).
Gill J., EU Commission President offers ‘heartfelt apology’ to Italy, as MEPs debate coronavirus response, Euronews, https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/ 16/eu-commission-president-offers-heartfelt-apology-to-italy (access 10.08.2020).
Grajauskas R., Federal Europe: A Postmodern Force in International Relations?, http://www.federalistdebate.org/index.php/component/k2/item/63-federal-europe-a-postmodern-force-in-international-relations (access 10.07.2011).
Hill C., Smith M., International relations and the European Union, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2011.
Keisala K., The EU as an international actor: Strengthens of the European civilian power, PhD diss., University of Tampere: Faculty of Social Sciences, 2014, https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/67439/951-44-6157-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (access 24.07.2020).
Lexico, 2019, https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/coherence (access 8.10.2020).
Lowen M., Coronavirus: Northern Italy quarantines 16 million people, BBC Network, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51787238 (access 10.08.2020).
Malle V., Khalaf R., Macron warns of EU unravelling unless it embraces financial solidarity, Financial Times, https://www.ft.com/content/d19dc7a6-c33b-4931-9a7e-4a74674da29a (access 10.08.2020).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coherence (access 8.10.2020).
Meyer-Resende M., Fournier T., The rule of law stress test – EU Member States responses to COVID-19, Democracy Reporting International, https:// democracy-reporting.org/dri_publications/the-rule-of-law-stress-testeu-member-states-responses-to-covid-19/ (access 8.10.2020).
Montchali A. de (twitter status), https://twitter.com/AdeMontchalin/status/ 1244232500827885568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1244232500827885568%7Ctwgr%5E&ref= (access 10.08.2020).
Papagianneas S., What future for the Future of Europe Conference? (opinion), EU Observer, https://euobserver.com/opinion/148322?fbclid=IwAR 3or4eDLmRvUal7V84Zg-hn7PZa66BZVEd-qwBLurjE8pahBL5rDdI8EEk (access 24.07.2020).
Rios B. et al., Leaders clash over stimulus against pandemic, pass hot potato to Eurogroup, Euractiv, https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/leaders-clash-over-stimulus-against-pandemic-pass-the-hot-potato-to-the-eurogroup/ (access 24.07.2020).
Robinet-Borgomano A., The Paradoxes of a Post-Covid-19 World: Three questions to Ivan Krastev, Institut Montaigne, https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/blog/paradoxes-post-covid-19-world (access 24.07.2020).
Rodriguez E., Thousands March in Spain on Women’s Day Despite Coronavirus Fears, US News, https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020- 03-08/thousands-march-in-spain-on-womens-day-despite-coronavirus-fears (access 24.07.2020).
Rolfe P., Morris L., Spain goes on nationwide lockdown as coronavirus cases surge, Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-spain-nationwide-lockdown/2020/03/14/3bec8690- 6619-11ea-8a8e-5c5336b32760_story.html (access 24.07.2020).
Sassoli D. (twitter status), https://twitter.com/EP_President/status/1243930262720962562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1243930262720962562%7Ctwgr%5E&ref= (access 24.07.2020).
Schencker L., Villagomez J., First US person-to-person case of coronavirus reported in Chicago. ‘We believe people in Illinois are at low risk’, Chicago Tribune, https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-illinois-spreadperson-to-person-coronavirus-20200130-yqbxfhqotvagdmvc5ibgvvwugy-story.html (access 24.07.2020).
Thaler P., Un-packing Coherence in EU Foreign Policy: How Policy Setting and Policy Content Shape EU External Relations Towards Russia, PhD diss., Central European University: Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/578b/62c4017ce78c1928a3c98cda5746bc55d0db.pdf?_ga =2.171243043.223076566.1572551180-586721100.1572551180 (access 24.07.2020).
Vallée S., Schwarzer D., How leaders can stop corona from undermining the EU (policy brief), https://dgap.org/sites/default/files/article_pdfs/dgappolicy_brief-2020-06_0.pdf (access 24.07.2020).
Vestager M., The European Response to the Covid-19 Virus, ICDS, International Center for Defense and Security, https://icds.ee/the-europeanresponse-to-the-covid-19-virus/ (access 24.07.2020).
World Health Organization, COVID 19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) (Publication), https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-(pheic)-global-research-and-innovation-forum (access 24.07.2020).
Zhelyazkova A., Bølstad J., Meijers M.J., Understanding responsiveness in European Union politics: introducing the debate, “Journal of European Public Policy”, 26:11, DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2019.1668046.
DOI: 10.33067/SE.4.2020.2
Language: English
Pages: 25-43
How to Cite:
Harvard
Ilik, G. and Shapkoski, V. (2020) "Coherence on Trial: The Coronavirus Outbreak as a Critical Test for the European Union". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 4/2020, pp. 25-43. DOI: 10.33067/SE.4.2020.2