Shark Radar

Broader review of the most significant events worldwide
Apr 8, 2020, 5:55 AM GMT
#InternationalRelations

The (European) Politics of Division

The European Union has received much criticism for the way the bloc is handling the coronavirus crisis. A common critique is that member-states are not as united in their struggle as they should be. It is argued that national governments opt to ‘battle’ the pandemic by themselves, whereas they should really be more unified and seeking a universal solution to the problem.

The criticism can essentially be summarised as a case against the politics of division on the international level. But how fair is it to assume that the European Union is not doing a good job at staying united against this new threat?

As the late Christopher Hitches said in an interview with Jeremy Paxman for the BBC "politics is division by definition. If there were no disagreement, no fight, there would be no politics". The novel coronavirus, in contrast, represents an entirely new and unprecedented challenge to international cohesion, as suggested by its name. The global pandemic is quickly turning into one of the most significant perils to globalization in recent memory, which is prone to stir many disagreements amongst European policymakers.

National governments' singular attempts to curb the spread of the virus on the national level should not be mistaken for political aloofness on the international level. The European Union has powerful institutions put in place, which are more than capable of surviving the present ordeal. Moreover, these institutions can channel states’ internal efforts on the international stage, which would make them more relevant for the entire bloc.

European states whose primary concern is related to the national level are not symbols of political fragmentation, but rather an attestation of the EU’s motto – United in Diversity.