Spring Paper 8 EN | springeurop.eu

Springeurop Paper 8

Coronavirus crisis: a defying EU challenge!

The Coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented event that will cost around €2.700 billion. This cost represents only monetary rescue actions without taking into account the chaos that will be caused both by the disappearance of our middle classes and by many companies, a climate conducive to dissatisfaction.

With Member States acting in a scattered order in the face of this serious health crisis, which remains a national prerogative, there is a high degree of mistrust on the part of citizens.

It is through President von der Leyen and her team that Europe urgently needs to overcome this defeat by demonstrating strong resilience to rebuild our future.

Once the financial and social impact has been assessed under her leadership and in consultation with the Member States, action will need to be taken.

In the short term:stop the pandemic, support the weakest , gradually restart work.

In the medium term, solve urgent problems such as:

1. Economic policy: what will be the price for future generations to reimburse the astronomical debts of States? What is the logic of negative interest rates, what are virtuous and flawed behaviours?

2. The environment: should we continue to destroy the planet under the pretext of consuming anything, no matter how?

3. Inequalities between workers, self-employed and shareholders: are these acceptable ? Is it appropriate to use as the sole basis for calculating social security the wages paid to the working forces? Is it appropriate to tax labour income?

4. Globalization: Is it smart to abandon our industrial activity, technology sectors and strategic infrastructure to the Gafa and the world's factory, China, because they are cheaper without worrying about our dependence on them?

In the long term: having a strong Europe

5. European patriotism: is our effectiveness in terms of governance, law, national defense, immigration and diplomacy, likely to make Europeans more patriotic?

The challenge is enormous, because it is the whole of our societal and institutional model that needs to be rebuilt, but the opportunity is fantastic: to become the world leader again.

The "Spring Paper 9 Action Plan" to ensure the “ European Spring “ will be published after consultation .

April 2020