Covid, towards a European lockdown. Here is the Brussels strategy

ROMA. Serve one more morning of consultations, it is not certain that it will arrive in port, but the hypothesis is suggestive, sensational, in some ways historical: to arrive at a European lockdown. With an agreement, not necessarily, between all 27 of the Union, but with a reasonable majority of countries, which could adopt a measure of closure, albeit evaluating measures adapted to the different national realities. This was discussed last night in a phone call between the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli and the President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen. The first suggested the hypothesis and the second, after having reasoned about it together, appreciated and assured to think about it, evaluating the possibility of making it their own and presenting it today to the extraordinary European Council, convened in the late afternoon by videoconference. It is not yet a “take charge” but there is the idea of ​​talking about it this morning in a preliminary way with some heads of government. A morning of consultations will therefore be consumed and even if the proposal could fall without being brought to the Council, yesterday evening it was a standing hypothesis, which persuaded the President of the Commission.

A proposal that at the outset already suffers the impossibility of finding the unanimity of the 27, a country like Sweden, for months now, has stood on the radical line of non-closure, discarding any hypothesis, even soft lockdown, and therefore, yes currency in Brussels, it will never join such a binding agreement. And the same closing attitude could be assumed by other countries.

But the hypothesis cherished by Von der Leyen and Sassoli is not that of a vote, of a binding commitment for all, but instead of a Commission proposal open to the accession of member states. Even if it should be presented in the softer formula, Von der Leyen first wants to talk about it with the leading countries of the Union and this morning – before the summit – he will ask what Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and of course also the leaders of the countries that have so far most resisted any restriction of personal freedoms.

In the last 48 hours, Germany, France and the Netherlands have given in to the idea of ​​more drastic measures, the next countries destined to “give up” are Spain and Belgium: all these countries together with Italy and the others who have already adopted partial closures – we reason in Brussels – they may feel “lightened” by a large-scale lockdown. And in the event that the proposal reaches the table of 27 and is accepted, it was imagined as suggestive the hypothesis that, albeit for a limited period of time, in most of the EU countries only students can have freedom of movement , which far from any gathering, would see a decrease in the chances of being contagious.

The President of the Commission, in view of today’s extraordinary summit, argued that the situation of the coronavirus pandemic is “very serious” and “we need to intensify our response in the European Union”, inviting all states members to cooperate closely in the fight against Covid-19 which is running fast in Europe at the moment. To enhance tracking and increase access to quick tests with results in 15 minutes, albeit less reliable, Brussels has allocated 100 million euros. We need to act all together ». And always with the idea of ​​a common and well-coordinated action, he proposed: «Rapid antigen tests are coming to the market. This can play a significant role but we will propose a community approach to their approval e use».

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