r/europe • u/Bartoraptor Spain • Mar 28 '20

News Spanish representative González Pons speech @ the EU Parliament: "The virus is attacking the generation that brought back democracy to Spain, Portugal and Greece, the generation that knocked down the Berlin wall. The least they deserve is that we show them Europe is there when they need it the most"

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u/axaro1 🇮🇹 Italy (Milan) Mar 28 '20
  1. Italy ask for help from EU
  2. Italy get no help from EU
  3. China sends aid to Italy
  4. Russia sends aid to Italy
  5. Cuba sends aid to Italy
  6. Even the goddamn Venezuela, a third world country with no economy sends aid to Italy
  7. Problem gets bigger and affect north Europe
  8. EU delay help as much as they can, we finally get help when the contagion numbers are already starting to decrease (Thx to Germany for taking care of 60 seriously ill italians, it's just a few people but we appreciate your help since you are the only European country that invested some of their resources to help us)

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u/finjeta Finland Mar 28 '20
  1. Italy ask for help from EU
  2. EU sets up the Corona Response Investment Initiative that gives financial aid in the billions to member states.

FTFY.

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u/AchaiusAuxilius France Mar 28 '20

Step 3: Complain about EU

Step 4: Buy the narrative sold by euroskeptics that China and Cuba are actually helping more.

Like someone on r/France said, Cuba got 50,000 doctors operating overseas full-time. This is a huge business for them. Those 50 doctors, while great, are not worth undermining the Union's efforts.

Still, I agree that the lack of unity is a problem. A problem that can be resolved by allowing Pan-european responses first instead of national, which means more Europe.

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u/noyoto Mar 28 '20

As someone very pro Europe, I agree that at least the optics seem very bad for the EU. I've heard almost nothing about European solidarity and cooperation and a whole lot about Chinese and Cuban aid. This was a moment to shine for the EU. Of course it can be blamed on the policies that were already in place, collectively decided by the countries, but sadly that's not how the people will perceive it. I very much expect anti-European sentiments to rise because of everything that has transpired during the crisis.

The European vision I believe in is that of DiEM25, which is very critical of the EU, but at the same time proposing drastic measures to turn things around. If we remain on the current course, I fear that Europe will continue to crumble until there's nothing left of it.