No início de 2021, já sabemos que a coesão europeia será posta à prova de uma forma sem precedentes. Mas se permanecermos focados, esta crise tem a hipótese de ser aquela que faz a Europa, ao invés de a quebrar, escreve Pawel Zerka. Atualmente, a crise do COVID-19 representa um triplo desafio para a coesão europeia: No Sul, o colapso económico pode traduzir-se numa crescente frustração entre as populações e o seu ceticismo em relação ao projeto europeu. Em alguns países do leste, a emergência de saúde serve como álibi para uma nova repressão às liberdades cívicas. Entretanto, os cidadãos e governos do norte podem perder a paciência com os Estados-Membros menos ricos, vendo-os como necessitando constantemente de resgates ou sofrendo de corrupção e de um Estado de direito fraco. Podem preferir uma integração em círculos mais estreitos. Por: Pawel Zerka; Fonte: EurActiv

The cohesion imperative

At the start of 2021, we already know that European cohesion will be put to an unprecedented test. But if we remain focused, this crisis has the chance of being the one that makes Europe, instead of breaking it, writes Pawel Zerka. (…)

Meanwhile, slower vaccination will lead to longer lockdowns and higher costs for European economies.

Plenty of things can go wrong. Violent anti-curfew protests in the Netherlands are only a minor warning that the patience of European citizens has its limits. After all they have endured in 2020, they might find it hard to wait many months more for a comeback to the pre-crisis normality. (…)

Currently, the COVID-19 crisis poses a triple challenge to European cohesion:

In the south, the economic collapse can translate into a growing frustration among populations, and their scepticism about the European project.

In some countries of the east, health emergency serves as an alibi for a further crackdown on civic liberties.

Meanwhile, citizens and governments in the north could lose patience with less affluent member states, seeing them as constantly needing bailouts or suffering from corruption and weak rule of law. They could prefer an integration in narrower circles. 

**Do you value EURACTIV’s reporting? We need your support.
Dear reader,
Now more than ever we need unbiased, expert information on how and why the European Union functions. This information should not be behind a paywall, and we remain committed to providing our content for free.
We know our readers value our reporting, and the outpouring of support we have received since the beginning of the crisis shows that our readers are willing to step up for the journalism that they trust and value. We are seeing record-breaking interest in our journalism as our pageviews have doubled in the last year. At the same time, readers support in the form of recurring monthly financial contributions provides continuous support for our work enabling us to innovate.
We are more confident than ever in our role bridging media, policy, and the public. And we thank you for your support.
Your recurring monthly financial contributions help us innovate for the future. Please consider making a recurring contribution to EURACTIV Media Network for Europe.**

(DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EURACTIV Media network.)

Por: Pawel Zerka
Fonte: EurActiv, em 16 de Fevereiro de 2021
https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/opinion/the-cohesion-imperative/