Corona crisis: Confidence is waning

So far, the measures against the corona crisis have been grudgingly accepted. But now the mood in France and Belgium, but also in the EU, is tilting. Confidence in crisis management is waning.

This is shown by two recent surveys, which I would like to touch on only briefly here. Let’s start with the situation in France: there, only 43 percent of respondents still support the strict curfews – eight percent less than a week ago.

The situation in Belgium is very similar. There too, there is no end in sight to the “measures”; the Belgians will not be allowed to see their relatives again until May 18. The government thus risks a “loss of acceptance”, writes “Le Soir”.

The mood in and towards the EU is also tilting, as the “Infothek” in Vienna reports. In Austria there are already “cracks” in the relationship with the EU, the portal, which specialises in European politics, says. Quote:

Less than half of the respondents, 33 percent, believe that the status of the EU will not change, while only 16 percent believe that the EU will grow stronger. However, and this is remarkable, the relative majority – 39 percent to be precise – assume that the EU will emerge from the crisis weaker.

Source: EU-Infothek

Things do not look much better across Europe. As many as 43 percent expected the EU to weaken because of the Corona crisis. The goal must therefore be called “rebuilding” if the Union is not to risk disintegration.

But what should this reconstruction look like? Will the nation states emerge stronger from the crisis, will the EU have to orient itself on the principle of subsidiarity? Or will Brussels again try to gain more power?

I do not dare make a prognosis. What is clear is that the state of emergency cannot be sustained for much longer. Whether things will improve afterwards and the EU will rise from the ruins remains to be seen. Italy has already said half farewell…

The original post (in German, with more links) is here