By Giulia Miraglia

We can all agree that 2020 has been a tough year for everyone so far and, as a European myself, I guarantee you that the old continent is no exception. COVID-19 is challenging every aspect of our life and the precarious balance of the European community, which, even before the pandemic was challenged, has been worsened. The socio-economic crisis requires an innovative plan at EU level able to support and finance the resilience and recovery of Member States (MSs) economies.

A first important attempt to face this common enemy came from a special European Council Meeting held in Brussels in July 2020. 

Following the words of President Charles Michel, the Council has reached “a deal on the recovery package and the European budget. There were, of course, difficult negotiations in very difficult times for all Europeans. […] This is a good deal. This is a strong deal.”

Besides the new Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), they introduced the NextGenerationEU (NGEU), a EU long-term budget plan for 2021-2027 providing the means to address the economic and social damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Council has allocated almost 750 billion euros to support and invest in NGEU in order to create a greener, more digital and, of course, more resilient European Union for future generations.

Funds will reach the needs of each state, which range from reforms in labour markets to improvement in education and training people in developing their job skills to master the digital age and the green transition. The Council intends to foster digital infrastructure, start-ups and logistics and transport connections.

Additionally, 30% of the budget will be devoted to climate actions, which will be a crucial contribution to reach the European Green Deal.

As we know, when repaying funds, there is a need for new resources. Hence, the Council proposed levying taxes on big tech companies such as Apple, Alphabet and Amazon, a tax on non-recycled plastics and the introduction of a carbon tax on imports coming from countries with low green and climate ambitions. 

Other core points emerged from this meeting, such as a new comprehensive approach to migration that was put forward, which aimed at combining a more effective control of the EU external borders while simultaneously ensuring EU principles and values. It also sought to ensure equality between women and men, as well as equal rights and opportunities.

Finally, Member States are invited to prepare national plans setting out reforms and changes in the 2021-2023 agenda.

However, some may wonder why richer countries should repay money for a poorer country far away from them. Here is the point: Europe’s strength lies in its community, its single market, unity and in its solidarity. In July, there was already a need to act decisively and urgently, but all together.

On Sep. 16th, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen gave an incredible speech on the State of the European Union (SOTEU 15-16 September). She promised to reduce almost 55% of greenhouse emissions by 2030, and committed to protecting citizens and their livelihood from the danger of a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides confirming the NGEU plan, the president also talked about Brexit, migration, human rights and new technologies.

Concerning Brexit, von der Leyen underlined that the EU and the UK jointly agreed it was the best and only way for ensuring peace. 

The agreement has been ratified both by the European Parliament and the House of Commons, and she explicitly warned the UK, stating “it cannot be unilaterally changed, disregarded or disapplied. This is a matter of law, trust and good faith.”  

Then, she moved on to the delicate issue of migration. She promised a new migration pact for states in order to “step up” to the challenges posed by migration and to take their own responsibility. 

“Saving lives at sea is not an option,” she said, and member states should have overcome the deep division of the 2015 migration crisis and pulled together to help the most exposed countries that also rely on the EU.

The Commission president spoke out against far-right and anti-migrant politics putting human rights at the core of the debate. There is a fundamental difference listening to both von der Leyen and to the extreme-right: according to her, each human being has a solemn dignity that should never ever be touched, while for far-right politicians there are different types of human beings, and they use hate speech to express their ideology. The introduction of an EU version of the US Magnitsky act will be useful in enabling sanctions on human rights abusers.

Von der Leyen’s speech comes at a time when the difficulties and challenges of Europe are huge. There is an urgent need to pull together the forces to solve important and delicate problems. Just think about the fire that destroyed the Moria Camp on the Greek island of Lesbos leaving 13,000 without shelter, or the law infringements by Hungary concerning its asylum law and Poland against the LGBTQI+ community. The Vice President for Protecting our European Way of Life, Ska Keller, recommends upholding EU values and urgently taking the right actions against countries that introduce the so-called “LGBTQI+ - free zones.”

Even though the head of the European Commission denounced the actions of Poland’s rightwing nationalist government and is in favor of sanctions on Belarus’ Lukashenko, a lot of skepticism emerged after her speech.

Should we continue to believe politicians’ words?  Half of the issues she listed in SOTEU 2020 are still blocked in the European Council, which is composed of the heads of state or government of all the EU countries, the European Council president and the European Commission president. Will the EU be able to listen to Europeans’ requests for justice, protection and the guarantee of human rights? What about making a concrete decision to reemerge from this fragile and blurred situation?  What we know for sure is that there is a fire burning within Europeans and an urgent necessity for equality, prosperity and solidarity among them.

Giulia is a political writer for La Tonique. You can follow Giulia Miraglia on Twitter @gm_miraglia.