Coronavirus: Europe will emerge stronger than ever

Facing its greatest ever challenge, the EU is proving a powerful force in the fight against the pandemic

FRANCE: In this handout photo provided by the National Orchestra of France on April 1, 2020, musicians are shown in the screenshot as a patchwork, each performing parts of "Bolero" alone in lockdown. National Orchestra of France via AP

NETHERLANDS: A salesperson in a converted ice cream parlour, sells his FFP2 face masks at 9 euros a piece, or 3 for 25 euros, as protection against the coronavirus in Amsterdam, on April 19, 2020. AP Photo

BELGIUM: Customers wait in line outside a Brico hardware store in Brussels, on April 18, 2020, on the first day of it's re-opening. From April 18, onwards gardening and hardware stores are allowed to receive costumers, as Belgium is in its fifth week of lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. AFP

LITHUANIA: A dog looks at cats through the window of the "Cat Cafe" which remains closed in Vilnius, Lithuania on April 19, 2020. In Lithuania, cafes and restaurants were closed to limit the spread of coronavirus. AFP

SLOVENIA: People ride their bicycles as a photograph by local photographer Ciril Jazbec is projected on a facade in Ljubljana on April 16, 2020, amid the outbreak of coronavirus. Galleries are closed due to the outbreak, so a group of photographers decided to exhibit their works in a slideshow projected on facades and other public spaces. AFP

CYPRUS: A family hold lighten candles symbolizing the Holy Light at the window of their apartment, as people are not allowed to attend the Orthodox Easter midnight mass, in Nicosia, on April 19, 2020. EPA

CROATIA: Two girls watch online on their computer streaming live a global concert 'One World Together at home' in Zagreb, on April 18, 2020. EPA

GERMANY: People hold a banner reading: "Everything prohibited except working" as they protest for the evacuation of refugees from camps in Greece, as the spread of coronavirus continues in Berlin, on April 19, 2020. Reuters

FINLAND: Violinist Teppo Ali-Mattila performs in an empty concert hall during the coronavirus outbreak, in Helsinki, on April 14, 2020. Reuters

SWEDEN: Erik Nyrenius during a training session with his football team in Lerum, Sweden, on April 18, 2020. Sweden has adopted more relaxed measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak in comparison to other areas of the EU. EPA

ITALY: Migrants are being transferred form the NGO boat Aita Mari to the Italian ship Rubattino, to be quarantined because of the coronavirus outbreak, off the coast of Palermo, on April 19, 2020. Reuters

POLAND: A man wears a face mask in Warsaw, on April 19, 2020, during an anniversary ceremony for the ill-fated struggle of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. AP Photo

SPAIN: A handout photo from the Spanish Government showing Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa speaking during a press conference at Moncloa Presidential Palace in Madrid on April 19, 2020. EPA

PORTUGAL: Members of the National Institute for Medical Emergency and the Public Security Police (PSP) conduct an evacuation operation at a hostel in Lisbon, on April 19, 2020. EPA

FRANCE: The Ukrainian Antonov An-225 Mriya aeroplane lands at Paris-Vatry airport from China to deliver 8,6 million face masks and 150 tonnes of sanitary equipment ordered by a private customer, in Bussy Lettree, on April 19, 2020. AFP

The coronavirus pandemic is unlike any other challenge our world has faced. No one was ready for it, and many were caught off guard. As Ambassador of the European Union to the UAE, it pains me to see how normally bustling cities like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Brussels and Milan have been brought to at a standstill.

Being Milanese myself, I saw first-hand the terrible toll this pandemic has inflicted on vulnerable people. However, to confront this pandemic, and to survive it together, we need a global response. The pandemic has painfully shown us that, more than ever before, global challenges can only be confronted by global cooperation and strong multilateral institutions.

Medical staff take care of a patient infected with the coronavirus in a train at the Gare d'Austerlitz train station in Paris. Pool via AP, File

Medical staff transfer a patient infected with the coronavirus to a train at the Gare d'Austerlitz train station in Paris. Pool via AP

Medical staff carry a patient infected with the Covid-19 onboard a medicalized TGV high speed train at the railway station in Strasbourg. Pool via Reuters

Medical staff carry a patient infected with the Covid-19 onboard a medicalized TGV high speed train at the railway station in Strasbourg. Pool via Reuters

Medical staff carry a patient infected with the Covid-19 onboard a medicalized TGV high speed train at the railway station in Strasbourg. Pool via Reuters

Medical staff carry a patient infected with the Covid-19 onboard a medicalized TGV high speed train at the railway station in Strasbourg. Pool via Reuters

Medical staff carry a patient infected with the Covid-19 onboard a medicalized TGV high speed train at the railway station in Strasbourg. Pool via Reuters

Medical staff members gather before carrying patients infected with the novel coronavirus as they arrive at the Saint-Jean train station in Bordeaux, southwestern France. AFP

Medical staff members gather before carrying patients infected with the novel coronavirus as they arrive at the Saint-Jean train station in Bordeaux, southwestern France. AFP

Medical staff members gather before carrying patients infected with the novel coronavirus as they arrive at the Saint-Jean train station in Bordeaux, southwestern France. AFP

This aerial picture of the deserted Saint-Jean train station in Bordeaux, southwestern France. AFP

A French Police officer patrols inside an empty Gare de Lyon train station in Paris, France, 04 April 2020. EPA

Critics have said, including in the opinion pages of The National, that the pandemic has left the EU in disarray, spelling doom for its unity. I strongly beg to differ.

Yes, it has been challenging – even confusing – to deal with this public threat.

Yes, we could have reacted more swiftly.

And yes, our continent has been severely affected.

But critics miss a crucial point: after an initial phase in which national reactions prevailed (because public health is a national competency), the EU has been quick to generate European responses in a spirit of solidarity.

Doctors and nurses were sent across border to provide help. Millions of masks and protective equipment were provided to resolve shortages abroad. Some patients were even hosted by hospitals outside of their home countries in order to alleviate pressure on the hardest hit areas.

Therefore, based on our past, I would venture a prediction. Throughout European history, what has not killed the EU has made it stronger.  It is in crises that the EU rises to the challenge. With a greater sense of the common good that binds us together, I am confident that the coronavirus will leave us stronger than ever.

Critics have said the pandemic has left the EU in disarray; I strongly beg to differ

We are now putting everything we have into doing everything we can to prevent further spread of the virus. We are protecting citizens in Europe and around the world, supporting those in need. We have worked on ensuring smooth border management and the flow of goods. We have adopted strong measures to protect our economies and support vulnerable workers, families and businesses.

The EU and the European Central Bank have injected record amounts into the economy, paving the way for its recovery. Beyond the borders of our continent, we are working with our international partners, including the UAE, to repatriate thousands of EU citizens stranded abroad. So far, this has allowed some 500,000 Europeans to go home.

We are also devoting huge resources towards the development of a vaccine. The EU has mobilised €140 million to fund vaccine research, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19. Some of our companies are at the forefront of the race to find a safe vaccine. This will not only benefit Europeans, but all of humanity.

The EU is taking the lead in developing a truly global agenda for enhanced pandemic preparedness. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for a global online pledging conference to be hosted on May 4. This will further accelerate work towards the development of possible treatments against the virus and bring an effective vaccine further within our reach. “This is our collective best shot at beating the virus,” Mrs von der Leyen said.

To promote international solidarity, the EU and its Member States are also contributing to the UN's worldwide humanitarian call to help countries with the most fragile health systems. So far, the EU has mobilised more than €400 million to boost global preparedness, prevention and containment of the virus. This shows a Europe that has not only the interest of its own people at heart, but also those of the rest of the world.

And, thankfully, we are not alone in this. The UAE has also shown its leadership and generosity at this critical time. Its massive testing programme and the quality of its healthcare system are remarkable. The dedication of frontline employees in this country are commendable: doctors, nurses, teachers, supermarket staff, community police, delivery workers and all those who perform critical functions for our wellbeing are our heroes. And we are proud that many of these jobs are being carried out by Europeans living in the UAE.

I also commend the Emirati leadership in taking a leading role in international solidarity – from deliveries of medical supplies to countries in need to helping reunite a seven-year old European girl with her family in Abu Dhabi. Emirati flights delivering critical medical equipment to European countries such as Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia have not gone unnoticed. These and other Emirati solidarity gestures to vulnerable countries in this region and beyond have weakened the impact of the pandemic worldwide.

This is what mankind needs right now. Only united we can deal a death blow to this virus. We will then find ourselves in a changed world. Hopefully, it will be a world characterised by mutual care, compassion, comprehension and solidarity.

Andrea Matteo Fontana is the European Union Ambassador to the UAE