The long-term consequences of #covid19 are far-reaching & touch upon several policy areas. Whilst the obvious ones are healthcare, econ & empl, #democracy, #RoL & #solidarity in the EU will also be affected. Here's a brief summary of the challenges ahead. THREAD 1/8
1) Taking the looming danger of further autocratization seriously. In #Hungary, emergency measures have been taken that are likely to be kept after the crisis. It includes rule by decree, Parliament suspended, no snap elections/referendums. euractiv.com/section/justic… 2/8
2) Ensuring #RoL stays on top of the EU's agenda despite the crisis: In #Poland, #muzzlelaw has come into force and the independence of the judiciary is now officially gone. economist.com/europe/2020/03… 3/8
3) Not postponing the EU's democracy agenda: #CoFoE, #Spitzenkandidaten reform & electoral law are not priorities in times of crisis - but the EU needs to work on those institutional issues because the union needs to be more legitimate & cohesive, esp in times of crisis. 4/8
4) Unterstanding the danger of a further breakdown of European #solidarity: The export bans in 🇩🇪, 🇨🇿& 🇫🇷were huge mistakes. EU member states abandoned #Italy, left the space to #China, prohibited the EU's ability to coordinate & might create resentment between Europeans. 5/8
On a positive note: There has been exemplary regional 🇫🇷🇩🇪cooperation, taking in French patients in German hospitals. This, however, should be supported by national governments in a much more structured fashion, and not just rely on ad hoc cooperation of willing regions. 6/8
5) Fighting racism & extremism despite the crisis: In 🇩🇪, there's been a crackdown against "Reichsbürger" & parts of the #AfD are now under surveillance as a "democratic threat". As fear & panic increases, states need to protect their democracies. bbc.com/news/world-eur… 7/8
6) Focus on clear, fact-based & coordinated communications: A pandemic does not stop at borders. The EU has almost no competences in the field of #healthcare - it is up to the EU Member States to coordinate both measures & communication about #covid19. 8/8
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