When coronavirus swept through the European Union, member states called on Brussels to help. But as Daniel Boffey discovered, the distress calls too often went unanswered
On 26 February, amid a growing coronavirus health emergency, Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, appealed to fellow EU member states for help. But far from a rapid response and solidarity from other member states, the distress call was met with silence.
It was a moment that stuck with the Guardian’s Daniel Boffey. He tells Anushka Asthana how the pandemic has opened up rifts and rivalries across the continent. As those in the “frugal” north resent paying for recovery efforts in the harder hit south. And how some national leaders have used the crisis to further other agendas.
Continue reading…When coronavirus swept through the European Union, member states called on Brussels to help. But as Daniel Boffey discovered, the distress calls too often went unansweredOn 26 February, amid a growing coronavirus health emergency, Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, appealed to fellow EU member states for help. But far from a rapid response and solidarity from other member states, the distress call was met with silence.It was a moment that stuck with the Guardian’s Daniel Boffey. He tells Anushka Asthana how the pandemic has opened up rifts and rivalries across the continent. As those in the “frugal” north resent paying for recovery efforts in the harder hit south. And how some national leaders have used the crisis to further other agendas. Continue reading…