Our World-Struck by the Pandemic

OUR WOR LD 

Struck by the Pandemic 

May 2020

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A NEW EUROPE PUBLICATION 

OUR WORLD 


Foreword by European Health 

Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides 

In partnership with

The Cover 

OUR WOR LD 


May 2020 

EDITOR 

Nicholas Waller 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Ariti-Marina Alamanou 

EDITION COORDINATORS 

Angelis Panopoulos 

Vassilis Nanis 

RESEARCH & REVIEW 

Orestis Vasileiadis 

Vassilis Tsimpidaros 

LAYOUT & DESIGN 

Suman Haque 

LOGISTICS & OPERATIONS 

Irini Panagopoulou 

PUBLISHING PARTNER 

Jerry Zagoritis 

Cover title: The Wandering Swan 

Illustration: Lavrentis Choraitis 

Concept: Campaign Lab & New Europe 

ISSN number: 2593 - 4163 

A publication by: 

Published by Brussels News Agency SPRL 

NEW EUROPE 

Av. de Tervuren/Tervurenlaan 96, Tel. +32 2 5390039 

1040 Brussels, Belgium 

Fax +32 2 5390339 

info@ourworld.co 

© 2020 Our World all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any 

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Editorial 

By Nicholas Waller 

Managing Editor, 

New Europe 

In the space of just a few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged much of the world 

into a state suspended paralysis. The crisis has laid bare just how unprepared we in the 

developed world are in the event of a major global catastrophe. If the COVID-19 pandemic 

has taught us anything, it is that bureaucratic infighting and delays in prudent policymaking 

has deadly and economically ruinous consequences. 

When the first signs of an outbreak began in China in late 2019, the earliest warnings were 

covered up by a paranoid Communist regime intent on keeping the world uninformed 

about the deadly nature of the disease. And despite numerous signals, Europe and the US 

chose not to heed the warnings. 

While the lessons to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic await an in-depth review once 

the worst phase of the crisis passes, the world is now left with finding a way to somehow 

tame the disease while at the same time picking up the pieces of the world’s economies and 

forging ahead with a more secure post-pandemic existence. 

The world’s democracies must acknowledge the disturbing speed by which aggressive and 

heavy-handed measures were enacted by officials in nations with little-to-no-history of 

authoritarianism as part of their efforts to combat the spread of the virus. 

The distinctly Orwellian character of the lockdowns, curfews, restrictions on the press, public 

shaming of those who question the authorities, and restrictions on the right to assemble 

is impossible to ignore. Each of the leading nations of the free world must come to the 

realisation that once certain inalienable rights are stripped away, it is nearly impossible to 

ever recoup what has been forever lost – the post-9/11 world taught us that simple but 

fundamental lesson. 

The reality is that economies will contract, resources will shrink, and governments will 

struggle to provide for their populations. But by pooling together the vast manufacturing 

and innovative resources that Europe possesses – and working in tandem with its close 

allies in the US, UK, and Canada – the EU can produce and provide its own medical and 

telecommunications resources that would help wean itself off its destructive dependence on 

China. 

By developing a coherent vision of exactly where Europe’s place in the post-pandemic world 

will be will allow the 27 members of the bloc to further address many of the issues that have 

dogged the EU for the past dozen years. What’s paramount is that Europe must find a way 

to allow its constituent members to rethink their notion of sovereignty while at the same 

time halting the growth of an even stronger nativist and xenophobic surge as a result of the 

pandemic. 

For the Western democracies, the end of the pandemic must be followed by a renewed 

sense of close cooperation, similar to what was seen in the years immediately following the 

end of the Second World War. 

We began 2020 by marking the tenth anniversary of our annual “Our World” magazine, 

where we invite leading minds from the political, business, academic, and civil society 

world to discuss our future as seen from the perspective of our individual and collective 

challenges. 

None of us could have imagined as recently the world would be faced with the sort of 

calamity that has befallen all of us in the months since we published the latest edition of Our 

World. From the very beginning, New Europe has offered entities who actively do good for 

our societies the opportunity to express their hopes and ideas in the pages of Our World. 

At this critical time in all of our lives, we sincerely hope that the thoughts and observations in 

this special edition helps bring more clarity for all as we look to the future.

OUR WORLD 

Foreword 

By Stella Kyriakides 

European Commissioner 

for Health 

The COVID19 pandemic has been described by many, 

including leading health experts, international organisations 

and political leaders around the world, as the greatest 

challenge humanity has faced since the Second World War and 

as the greatest threat to global public health of our lifetime. It 

has become a global health crisis that has transformed life as we 

know it. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have 

tragically lost their lives, leaving behind their families and loved 

ones. Our healthcare systems have been put under extraordinary 

pressure, and we pay tribute to our heroic frontline healthcare 

workers, who put themselves at risk every day to save lives and 

protect all of us. Our economies have suffered considerable losses, 

jobs have been lost, and societies have been kept apart because 

of social distancing. 

At the onset of the crisis, it was thought that perhaps every 

country could face their own challenges alone. However, it quickly 

became apparent that this could not be the case. It is clear that to 

deal with a multifaceted global crisis, it is necessary and of utmost 

importance to have a global response, with communities, regions 

and countries coming together at all levels as a united team, in 

the spirit of resilience, togetherness, and above all, solidarity. In 

the past few weeks, we have seen unprecedented cooperation 

across the world to address the most pressing issues, including 

supplies of essential equipment and medicines that our hospitals 

require and exceptional economic support measures to mitigate 

the impact of the pandemic on our economies and societies. 

Now we stand at a critical phase of our common fight which 

will require more global coordination and solidarity than ever. 

We must jointly strive to support worldwide efforts to develop, 

manufacture, equally distribute and ensure access to safe and 

effective treatments and vaccines for all, especially the most 

vulnerable countries and societies. To do so we will need to pool 

resources and expertise from all stakeholders, both public and 

private, in a joint effort for the public good. 

On May 4, the EU called on all of them to demonstrate this spirit 

of solidarity by contributing to a global pledge aimed at closing the 

funding gaps necessary for the critical research needed to develop 

a cure for the virus. This is how we will overcome the COVID-19 

pandemic. This is the fight of our generation. We face it together 

and we will rise to the occasion together. This is our fundamental 

duty to our citizens. 

OUR WORLD | MAY 2020 

5

STRUCK BY THE PANDEMIC 

CONTENTS 

Editorial .................................................................................... 03 

By Nicholas Waller 

Managing Editor, New Europe 

Foreword.................................................................................... 05 

By Stella Kyriakides 

European Commissioner for Health 

8 LEADERSHIP IN CRISIS & 

FRONTLINE HEROES 

COVID-19 threatens to bring back unfair and 

unequal treatment of working women......................................... 10 

By António Guterres 

Secretary General of the United Nations 

Rebuilding the European Way of Life in the aftermath, 

from Achilles’ heel to Achilles’ shield............................................ 12 

By Margaritis Schinas 

Vice President of The European Commission for Promoting Our European Way of Life 

FirstNet: Unique U.S. public-private partnership 

takes on COVID-19....................................................................... 14 

By Jeff McElfresh 

CEO, AT&T Communications 

Bahrain’s COVID-19 Response....................................................... 16 

By Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa 

Chairman, Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (DERASAT) 

Rebuilding society: rural sustainable development 

after Covid-19 An opinion, not a myth.......................................... 18 

By Shanu SP Hinduja 

Chair of Hinduja Bank, Co-Chair of the United Nations Global Accelerator and 

Professor of Leadership at the University of Bolton’s Institute of Management 

Behind closed doors: domestic violence amid 

the COVID-19 pandemic............................................................... 20 

By Frances Fitzgerald 

Irish member of the European Parliament with the EPP Group – EPP Group Coordinator of 

the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality 

Leadership Reconceptualized: 

A Compass for the Leaders of the New Global Era.......................... 22 

By Vassili Apostolopoulos 

CEO of the Athens Medical Group (AMG) - President of the Hellenic Entrepreneurs 

Association (EENE) 

The Quest for the Single Antibody to End 

the COVID-19 Pandemic .............................................................. 24 

By Jake Glanville & Aishani Aatresh 

Jake Glanville Distributed Bio, CEO & Founding Partner 

& Aishani Aatresh Computational Immunoengineering Affiliate at Distributed Bio 

Nurses – the Heroes at the Frontline of Healthcare......................... 26 

By Paul de Raeve 

Secretary General of the European 

Federation of Nurses Associations 

5G: A Backbone for Europe’s Economic Recovery............................ 28 

By Afke Schaart 

Vice President and Head of Europe, Russia and CIS countries of the GSMA - Former 

Member of the Parliament of the Netherlands 

8 POLITICAL ECONOMY 

OF A PANDEMIC 

The EU in crisis? A pragmatist’s take ............................................ 32 

By Antonio López-Istúriz White 

Secretary General of the European People’s Party – Spanish member of the European 

Parliament with the EPP Group 

Technology Now! Lessons learned 

from COVID19 and What’s Next.................................................... 36 

By Eva Kaili 

Greek member of the European Parliament with the S&D Group - Chair for Science and 

Technology, STOA - Chair EU40 - Member of OECD Blockchain Advisory Board, WEF EU 

Digital Leaders & Digital Currency Gov Consortium, IEEE Center of Extended Intelligence 

Advisory Board 

Looking for the white knight ....................................................... 38 

By Daniel Kaddik 

Executive Director of the European Liberal Forum 

China’s Hostage Diplomacy........................................................... 40 

By Anna Fotyga 

Polish member of the European Parliament with the ECR Group 

Quarantine and/or geopolitical checkmate? .................................. 42 

By Lídia Pereira 

Portuguese member of the European Parliament with the EPP Group – President of the 

Youth of the European People’s Party 

The China Hunt........................................................................... 44 

By Witold Jan Waszczykowski 

Polish member of the European Parliament with the ECR Group - Former Minister of 

Foreign Affairs 

The West must stand confident and 

united against the Chinese threat................................................. 46 

By Mattias Karlsson 

Member of the Swedish Parliament - Former Leader of the Sweden Democrats 

The Black Swan of 2020............................................................... 48 

By Erol User 

President and CEO of User Corporation. Dr User is also a multi-award winning entrepreneur, 

veteran businessman, philanthropist, business/financial coach and educator 

Reimagining History’s Path........................................................... 50 

By Dimitris Valatsas 

Chief Economist at Greenmantle 

The Other Half............................................................................ 52 

By Sabina Ciofu 

Head of EU and Trade Policy at techUK 

The great lockdown: 

a glimpse of a more sustainable future?........................................ 54 

By Peter R. Styles 

Managing Director, Stratos European Policy Limited 

What are the Geo-Economic 

Impacts of the Coronavirus Crisis? ............................................... 56 

By Omar Al-Ubaydli 

PhD, Researcher at the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies 

(Derasat), Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, Washington 

Fixing the Eurozone for the next 50-years ..................................... 58 

By Juha-Pekka Nurvala 

Former Senior Political Advisor for Economic and Social Policy, European People’s Party - 

Political Economist, London School of Economics 

6 MAY 2020 | OUR WORLD

CONTENTS 

OUR WORLD 

Going Viral: COVID-19’s Harsh Lessons........................................... 60 

By Mitchell Belfer 

President of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre (Rome, Italy), Senior Lecturer in 

International Relations, Terrorism and Security at the Metropolitan University Prague 

(Czech Republic) and Editor in Chief of the Central European Journal of International and 

Security Studies. 

A green recovery......................................................................... 62 

By Dirk Schoenmaker 

Non-Resident Fellow at Bruegel- Professor of Banking and Finance at Rotterdam School 

of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam- Research Fellow at the Centre for 

European Policy Research (CEPR). 

8 IMPACT OF A GLOBAL PROBLEM 

We need a global solution, a global response 

to ensure a better handling of future breakouts............................ 66 

By Adrian Delia 

Leader of the Opposition in Malta & Leader of the Nationalist Party 

Uzbekistan’s emergence onto the World stage............................... 68 

By Sardor Umurzakov 

Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister of Investments & Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan and is also 

the Co-Chair of the Supervisory Board of Europe-Uzbekistan Association for Economic 

Cooperation (EUROUZ) 

What we can learn from viruses and 

our efforts to defeat them........................................................... 70 

By Michel Zaffran 

Director of Polio Eradication at World Health Organization 

By Judith Diment 

Coordinator of National Advocacy Advisors at Rotary International 

Lessons from Australia................................................................. 72 

By Hermann Tertsch 

Spanish Member of the European Parliament with the ECR Group 

Poland has shown true European Solidarity .................................. 74 

By Carlo Fidanza 

Italian member of the European Parliament with the ECR Group 

How the Nigerian diaspora is helping 

in the fight against Coronavirus ................................................... 76 

By Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa 

Senior Special Assistant to President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, 

on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs 

Germany and the future of the Union........................................... 78 

By Gianni Pittella 

Member of the Italian Senate, Former Vice President of the European Parliament & 

former Leader of the S&D Group in the European Parliament 

Stringent social distancing measures are working out.................... 80 

By Sophia Kircher 

Member of the regional Parliament of Tyrol with the Austrian People’s Party 

Turkey and Covid-19: Stepping into Supply Chains.......................... 82 

By Nail Olpak 

President of DEiK, Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey 

8 CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 

& THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS 

Digital Greece: turning crisis into opportunity................................ 86 

By Grigoris Zarifopoulos 

Greek Deputy Minister for Digital Governance, responsible for Digital Strategy and for 

attracting investment in Digital Technology 

Full-service healthcare distributors have proven their resilience 

throughout the COVID-19 crisis ensuring continuous service for 

European patients ...................................................................... 90 

By Monica Derecque Pois 

Director General of the European Healthcare Distribution Association 

What is the role of businesses in Europe’s fight against COVID-19, 

and in its recovery?..................................................................... 92 

By Cybelle Buyck 

European Vice President of Legal & Corporate Affairs, AB InBev 

The need for a new narrative in tourism is an urgent need!............ 94 

By Angela Gerekou 

President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation 

Hauling US Banking Infrastructure ............................................... 96 

By Archie Ravishankar 

Founder and CEO of Cogni 

Take Africa into consideration...................................................... 98 

By Nikos Papazoglou 

CEO, Pharmex SA 

Green Recovery, Energy Transition and Gender Equality: 

a triple target for Europe .......................................................... 100 

By Daria Nochevnik 

Co-Founder Women in Energy, Climate and Sustainability Foundation 

International Education and a Pandemic Crisis............................. 102 

By Patrick van Rooyen 

Executive Chairman, GoGlobal Education 

Envelopes resist crises............................................................... 104 

By Matti Rantanen 

Managing Director of the European Federation of Envelope Manufacturers 

Public Services and Services of General Interest on the frontline 

against the COVID-19................................................................. 106 

By Valeria Ronzitti 

SGI employers and providers at the heart of the crisis 

8 FINAL WORD 

Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity......................................... 108 

By Jerry Zagoritis 

Founder & CEO of Campaign Lab and the Publishing Partner of “Our World: Struck by the 

Pandemic” 


7


Leadership 

in Crisis & 

Frontline 

Heroes

LEADERSHIP IN CRISIS & FRONTLINE HEROES 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

COVID-19 Threatens to Bring 

Back Unfair and Unequal 

Treatment of Working Women 

By António Guterres 

Early signs are that the COVID-19 virus poses a greater direct health risk 

to men, and particularly older men. But the pandemic is exposing and 

exploiting inequalities of all kinds, including gender inequality. In the long 

term, its impact on women’s health, rights and freedoms could harm us all. 



Women are already suffering the deadly 

impact of lockdowns and quarantines. These 

restrictions are essential – but they increase the 

risk of violence towards women trapped with 

abusive partners. Recent weeks have seen an 

alarming global surge in domestic violence; the 

largest support organization in the UK reported 

a 700 percent increase in calls. At the same 

time, support services for women at risk face 

cuts and closures. 

This was the background to my recent 

appeal for peace in homes around the world. 

Since then, more than 143 governments have 

committed to supporting women and girls at 

risk of violence during the pandemic. Every 

country can take action by moving services 

online, expanding domestic violence shelters 

and designating them as essential, and 

increasing support to frontline organizations. 

The United Nations’ partnership with the 

European Union, the Spotlight Initiative, is 

working with governments in more than 25 

countries on these and similar measures, and 

stands ready to expand its support. 

But the threat to women’s rights and 

freedoms posed by COVID-19 goes far beyond 

physical violence. The deep economic downturn 

accompanying the pandemic is likely to have a 

distinctly female face. 

The unfair and unequal treatment of 

working women is one reason why I went into 

politics. In the late 1960s, as a student volunteer 

doing social work in poor areas of Lisbon, I saw 

women in very difficult situations, doing menial 

jobs and carrying the weight of their extended 

families. I knew this had to change – and I have 

seen important change in my lifetime. 

But decades later, COVID-19 threatens to 

bring back these conditions and worse, for 

many women around the world. 

Women are disproportionately represented 

in poorly paid jobs without benefits, as domestic 

workers, casual labourers, street vendors, and 

in small-scale services like hairdressing. The 

International Labour Organization estimates 

that nearly 200 million jobs will be lost in the 

next three months alone – many of them in 

exactly these sectors. 

And just as they are losing their paid 

employment, many women face a huge 

increase in care work due to school closures, 

overwhelmed health systems, and the 

increased needs of older people. 

António 

Guterres 

Secretary General of 

the United Nations 

And let’s not forget the girls who have had 

their education cut short. In some villages 

in Sierra Leone, school enrolment rates for 

teenage girls fell from 50 to 34 percent after the 

Ebola epidemic, with lifelong implications for 

their wellbeing and that of their communities 

and societies. 

Many men, too, are facing job losses and 

conflicting demands. But even at the best of 

times, women do three times as much domestic 

work as men. 

That means they are more likely to be called 

on to look after children if businesses open 

while schools remain closed, delaying their 

return to the paid labour force. 

Entrenched inequality also means that while 

women make up seventy percent of healthcare 

workers, they are vastly outnumbered by men 

in healthcare management, and comprise just 

one in every ten political leaders worldwide – 

which harms us all. We need women at the table 

when decisions are taken on this pandemic, 

to prevent worst-case scenarios like a second 

spike in infections, labour shortages, and even 

social unrest. 

Women in insecure jobs urgently need basic 

social protections, from health insurance to 

paid sick leave, childcare, income protection 

and unemployment benefits. Looking ahead, 

measures to stimulate the economy, like cash 

transfers, credits, loans and bailouts, must be 

targeted at women – whether they are working 

full-time in the formal economy, as part-time or 

seasonal workers in the informal economy, or 

as entrepreneurs and business owners. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clearer 

than ever that women’s unpaid domestic 

labour is subsidizing both public services and 

private profits. 

This work must be included in economic 

metrics and decision-making. We will all gain 

from working arrangements that recognize 

people’s caring responsibilities, and from 

inclusive economic models that value work in 

the home. 

This pandemic is not only challenging 

global health systems, but our commitment 

to equality and human dignity. 

With women’s interests and rights front 

and centre, we can get through this pandemic 

faster, and build more equal and resilient 

communities and societies that benefit 

everyone. 


11


SHUTTERSTOCK 

Rebuilding the European Way 

of Life in the Aftermath: From 

Achilles’ Heel to Achilles’ Shield 

By Margaritis Schinas 

In the past few weeks, Europeans have 

shown their resilience, ability to act and 

determination to keep our lives on track 

whilst mounting a collective response to 

the coronavirus pandemic. It has been 

business in full swing, but not as usual. 

Extraordinary and unprecedented 

measures – both economic and social 

– have been taken. The extremely 

restrictive social distancing and 

confinement measures are helping to 

slow down the spread of the virus and 

give our health systems a chance to cope. 

But these measures come at a cost – 

to our economies, to the functioning 

of our single market and to people’s 

basic freedoms. The limitation of civic 

freedoms and economic development 

cannot become the norm or it will deeply 

compromise the future for generations 

of Europeans. 

Although the fight against the virus is 

still ongoing, it is time we started looking 

at the ‘what next’. Our strategies for 



Margaritis 

Schinas 

Vice President of The 

European Commission 

for Promoting Our 

European Way of Life 


lifting the restrictive measures must be 

coordinated. The virus does not respect 

borders meaning uncoordinated measures 

will be ineffective. If anything is a matter 

of common European interest and where 

strong European solidarity is needed, it is 

here. Our societies are stronger when we 

take care of one another. Europe is stronger 

when we pull together. And an absence of 

solidarity will forever be our Achilles’ heel. 

Whilst the timing and exact details 

may vary across Member States, we need 

a shared operating framework, which 

allows coordination across a number of 

policy areas. This is why the Commission 

has presented a Roadmap towards lifting 

COVID-19 containment measures. The 

Roadmap sets out recommendations 

for the Member States on how we can 

move beyond our initial response to the 

pandemic and restart community life and 

the economy. Given how much we still do 

not know about the virus, it is clear that 

we must be able to revise our approach in 

response to new developments. Limiting 

the spread of the virus will be a battle we 

may have to wage many times over. 

Our common Roadmap must also be 

about bringing more solidarity. To win 

this battle, we will need to produce more 

test-kits, improve treatment protocols 

and, ultimately, discover the vaccine that 

will protect us from the virus. This, in turn, 

should be widely accessible and affordable 

both in Europe and throughout the world. 

If Europe’s Achilles’ heel is the absence 

of solidarity, its shield is our immeasurable 

resilience. In The Illiad, Achilles’ shield 

represents new hope and provides 

perspective on the ten years of the Trojan 

war. The shield depicts normal life in 

peacetime, symbolising the world beyond 

the battlefield and the crucial lesson that 

the war is only one aspect of existence. 

Life as a whole is full of feasts, dances and 

new harvests. The shield reminds us that 

this too shall pass, and that life has much 

more to offer. For me, it reminds me that 

Europe’s unique and diverse way of life 

must be restored and rebuilt stronger 

than before. 

Going forward, the resilience of our 

systems will be essential. First in the area 

of health but also through the use of our 

The limitation of 

civic freedoms and 

economic development 

cannot become the 

norm or it will deeply 

compromise the future 

for generations of 

Europeans. 

industrial, education, employment, security 

and economic strategies. The crisis also has 

a global dimension: it can only be defeated 

through international coordination and 

cooperation, to improve our pandemic 

preparedness. The EU, as the world’s 

largest donor and a leading economic 

power, intends to be at the forefront of 

this effort. President von der Leyen has 

therefore tasked me with organising an 

online pledging conference on 4 May, to 

accelerate work on diagnostics, treatments 

and the development of a vaccine. 

I have read a great deal of criticism of 

the collective European response to the 

COVID-19 pandemic. Some of it fair, some 

of it exaggerated. All I would ask is that we 

not judge our Union by how many times it 

has faltered but by how many times it has 

gotten back up again. We can only face up 

to this challenge by bringing our societies 

and democracies together, not by sowing 

division. 

Without forgetting those we lost and the 

many still struggling, we must now focus 

on rebuilding Europe in the aftermath of 

the pandemic and laying the foundations 

for later. We will be forever changed by the 

events of this year, so let it be for the better. 

And let us be reminded of our resilience, for 

it is our ultimate protection. 

13


AT&T / FIRSTNET 

FirstNet: Unique U.S. Public-Private 

Partnership Takes on COVID-19 

By Jeff McElfresh 

AT&T is proud to operate FirstNet, the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications 

platform exclusively for America’s first responders and extended public safety community. From 

the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, FirstNet has been instrumental in helping those on the 

frontline coordinate and communicate. 

Born in a crisis 

FirstNet was born out of an earlier crisis: 9/11. Following the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., 

firefighters, police, and EMS had difficulty communicating due to heavy demand and incompatible systems. 

First response needs to be a unified response. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in September 2001. 

As a result, the U.S. Congress created the independent First Responder Network Authority, which in 2017 

selected AT&T to build and operate a new kind of network. The goal was to provide first responders in all U.S. 

jurisdictions dedicated, interoperable and prioritized connections unaffected by commercial network traffic. 



Now taking on COVID-19 

Built to flex and adapt 

Since it went into operation in 2018, FirstNet 

has proved itself in fires, earthquakes and 

storms. Now, it’s supporting the frontline heroes 

working to keep America safe and get back on 

its feet. We see AT&T’s role as giving them close 

support, from rolling in temporary cell sites to 

embedding our experts in federal and state 

emergency operating centers. 

In January, we began supporting the first 

quarantine sites in the U.S. Since then, we’ve 

continued to deploy equipment, optimize the 

network and supply devices to support public 

safety at airports, hospitals, testing centers and 

other essential locations nationwide. 

Here are just a few examples of how 

we’re helping America’s first responders fight 

COVID-19: 

• Hard-Hit Cities: In New York City, we stepped 

in to provide EMS and other first responders the 

connectivity they need. We equipped hundreds 

of ambulances – from different nearby towns 

and cities – with interoperable, FirstNet-ready 

devices. We also deployed a FirstNet portable 

cell site and new, temporary in-building 

solutions to increase network capacity for first 

responders and emergency staff. 

• Naval Hospital Ships: We worked to 

connect two U.S. Navy hospital ships, the USNS 

Comfort in New York and the USNS Mercy in Los 

Angeles. These medical treatment facilities were 

sent to alleviate overcrowding in local hospitals. 

• Major Medical Centers: At no additional 

charge, public safety agencies on FirstNet can 

request temporary network equipment for 

emergency support. In northern California, 

for example, we deployed a FirstNet portable 

cell site at a medical facility to add capacity for 

emergency personnel. 

• Testing Facilities: We deployed another 

FirstNet portable cell site to support a drivethru 

testing facility in a northeastern state. The 

site allowed medical professionals and first 

responders to communicate without worrying 

about bandwidth once people arrived for testing. 

• Logistics Managements: We’ve quickly 

expanded bandwidth to support a five-fold 

increase in remote Virtual Private Networking 

capabilities for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

as it manages logistics for the national COVID-19 

response. 

We’re determined to deliver the best tools 

and solutions for these life-saving missions. 

That’s why we keep updating FirstNet to meet 

public safety’s changing technical needs and 

help reduce their costs: 

• We expanded FirstNet to give eligible 

first responder agencies free smartphones 

for life on unlimited plans. This means law 

enforcement, fire and EMS agencies will have 

the latest tools to complete their lifesaving 

missions. 

• We’re also expanding the FirstNet app 

ecosystem to support our nation’s response to 

COVID-19. The FirstNet App Catalog includes 

more than 100 highly secure apps for public 

safety. 

• Through the primary service portal for 

agencies using FirstNet, public administrators 

now have easy access to the interactive 

coronavirus disease dashboard created by the 

Center for Systems Science and Engineering at 

Johns Hopkins University. 

Serving the medical community 

We also recognize the importance of the 

extended public safety community – which 

in a pandemic like this, certainly includes 

doctors and nurses caring for patients under 

dire conditions. 

That’s why we went a step further to 

support eligible state-licensed nurses and 

physicians across the U.S. with three months 

of free wireless service for a smartphone or 

tablet on a FirstNet individual plan. 

We also collaborated with a large U.S. 

insurance company to expedite our continuing 

FirstNet network rollout. This will streamline 

access to affordable, high-speed wireless 

broadband to promote primary care and 

telehealth services in rural and underserved 

communities. 

As public safety’s network partner serving 

all 56 U.S. states and territories, we’re proud to 

work alongside these brave men and women 

to ensure they have the critical connectivity 

they need. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis 

and beyond, it’s an honor to do all we can for 

those dedicated to protecting our families and 

communities. 

Jeff McElfresh 

CEO, AT&T 

Communications 


15


A Local Contribution to the Global Pandemic: 

Bahrain’s COVID-19 Response 

By Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa 

The rapid contagion of COVID-19 

caught much of the international 

community off-guard. With each 

passing day we in Bahrain watched with 

frozen anticipation as the virus jumped 

from China to other parts of Asia, to Europe 

and then into our own region. Bahrain is 

a small state (765 sq km), the sixth most 

densely populated in the world, and 

contagion would be fast and relentless. 

Bahrain’s first obligation is to ensure the 

health and safety of its people. An actionplan 

went into immediate effect. As early 

as 22 January, Bahrain’s Ministry of Health 

announced that it would follow the World 

Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, 

start implementing epidemiological 

monitoring while taking pre-emptive 

measures at Bahrain International Airport. 

Bahrain takes healthcare seriously. It 

always has. 

Bahrain’s Crown Prince, His Royal 

Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al 

Khalifa, with the guidance of His Majesty 

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, crafted a 

plan to help everyone who calls Bahrain 

home—citizens and expatriates alike. 

From the national airport to other 

points of entry, The Crown Prince directed 

the Ministry of Health to deploy early 

screening devices in a bid to prevent the 

virus from reaching the Kingdom. This 

required foresight. There was, as yet, no 

real indication as to how far the virus would 

spread or what kind of damage it would 

do. Leaving nothing to chance became the 

motto. And so, the Ministry of Health began 

its precautionary work and strengthened 

national capabilities needed for large 

scale testing. At this point, COVID-19 was 

responsible for only 170 deaths worldwide 

and only 82 of the 7818 recorded cases 

were outside China. There were, as yet, 

no cases in Bahrain. 

With phase one — prevention and 

preparation — underway, the next step, 

The Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa during a visit to the 

National Taskforce to Combat COVID-19 operations center 

as in any impending emergency, was to 

develop a tailor-made Taskforce in order to 

quickly and efficiently respond to the everevolving 

situation. This took the form of the 

National Taskforce to Combat COVID-19 

with a fully functioning, multi-level, joint 

operations centre up and running by 13 

February. Coordination meetings were 

then held to enhance the symbiosis of 

private and public health institutions and 

ensure that Ministry of Health guidelines 

were being implemented. It was clear from 

the start that the key to success would be 

teamwork: not only teamwork between 

government and the healthcare sector, 

but by all segments of society. This was a 

struggle that everyone needed to pitch in 

to help with. 

This teamwork is well reflected in the 

#TeamBahrain which raises awareness 

and develops real, functioning collective 

efforts as counter-measures against the 

pandemic. Reaching out via social media 

and ensuring the proper, uninterrupted 

flow of information rests at the heart of 

combating COVID-19. As the Minister of 

Finance and National Economy, Shaikh 

Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, rightly noted 

“We are always very proud of our “Team 

Bahrain” approach; which is a seamless 

integration of government entities private 

enterprise in delivering forward on a vision 

has been in place for over 20 years in terms 

of diversifying the economy and moving 

things forward.” #TeamBahrain’s Twitter 

and Instagram messaging contributed to 

saving lives; it helped people make sense 

of the dangers and respond in kind. And, 

it also helped allay fears and share in the 

many success stories Bahrain has already 

witnessed. 

From Planning to Deployment 

— The Action Plan in Action 

No strategy, Clausewitz reminds us, 

survives contact with the enemy. No matter 

the planning and preparations, COVID-19 

is a stubborn opponent. Inevitably, on 

24 February, Bahrain recorded its first 

case from an individual returning from 

Iran. The action-plan shifted to embrace 

both further prevention and to detect 

and contain the virus. Protocols were 

activated and the testing of persons who 

arrived from Iran over the previous 30 days 

begun. In case isolation and treatment, for 

the hundreds of people being tested, was 

required it was made available. Travel was 

suspended to and from Iran, all educational 

institutions were closed and public events 

were postponed. Self-quarantine became 



Prince Salman being briefed at the nerve center of the National Taskforce to Combat COVID-19 operations Center 

mandatory for those that arrived from destinations 

where large numbers of cases were recorded. 

Mobile testing was launched on 29 February as 

a reinforcement measure. By 09 March, Bahrain 

had the capability of conducting some 3500 tests 

a day — HM King Hamad issued Royal Directives 

to provide free COVID-19 testing and treatment 

for all citizens and residents in Bahrain — and by 

constructing three field hospitals, we managed to 

double the number of beds available in case the 

situation worsened. 

Throughout all this, Prince Salman remained 

fully engaged and his visits to the National 

Taskforce have become a weekly occurrence 

that helps boost morale and make important 

planning contributions. The early flexible response 

adopted by Bahrain saved the country from a farworse 

scenario: community spread was not only 

minimised but mitigated within days. As a result, on 

19 March, Bahrain became the first Arab country 

to join the World Health Organisation’s Solidarity 

Trial experiment programme which is a testament 

of the efforts made by Bahrain as a whole. 

Public Engagement = Public Safety 

Bahrain’s #BeAware campaign is an Arabic, 

English and Hindi language public service portal 

that emphasises WHO recommendations, 

communicates important updates and works in 

tandem with #TeamBahrain to make sure that 

the message is delivered and received. A 24-hour 

hotline was also established in 7 languages, with 

doctors on call to answer questions and remotely 

assess the severity of caller symptoms and, if 

necessary, arrange for transportation of patients 

to the correct facilities. There is a mobile app that 

keeps the public in the know and even tracks 


Abdulla bin 

Ahmed Al 

Khalifa 

Chairman, Bahrain 

Center for Strategic, 

International and 

Energy Studies 

(DERASAT) 

users to warn them if they have been in contact 

with positive cases and our volunteer programme 

attracted some 30000 applicants. Bahrain’s public 

is aware, it is engaged and, if this crisis has taught 

us anything, it is unified in the face of adversity. 

To date there have been a total of eight 

COVID-19 related deaths in Bahrain. Each one 

of them is a painful reminder that this pandemic 

does not discriminate and that there are no safe 

quarters to hide in. However, there is much than 

can be done to reduce the mortality rates; there 

are precautionary steps that may be undertaken 

to limit and roll-back COVID-19. Thanks to the quick 

thinking and energy of Prince Salman, Bahrain’s 

cases are few and far apart. The situation is stable. 

Even on the economic front, the economic stimulus 

package of 4.3 billion BHD ($11.4 billion USD) has 

been earmarked for citizens and businesses, 

representing a full 30% percent of Bahrain’s GDP. 

This is a massive commitment to cushioning 

the economic cost to our citizens that COVID-19 

produced. 

While this is a national solution to this global 

problem, it is important to remember that Bahrain 

is a microcosm of the international community 

and people from all walks of life call this Island 

home. While Bahrain cannot affect the outcome 

of COVID-19 on its own, it can make an important 

contribution by sharing its know-how and 

maintaining its transparent, hands-on approach 

for combatting this pandemic. How this will all end 

remains a mystery. However, as states close down 

their borders they are also opening up their lines 

of communication to share data, expertise and 

ensure the free-flow of knowledge. We in Bahrain 

will continue to make our mark in the battle to save 

lives and overcome COVID-19. 

17


Rebuilding Society 

Rural Sustainable Development After Covid-19; An Opinion, Not a Myth 

By Shanu SP Hinduja 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

Shanu 

SP Hinduja 

Chair of Hinduja 

Bank, Co-Chair of 

the United Nations 

Global Accelerator and 

Professor of Leadership 

at the University of 

Bolton’s Institute of 

Management 

After coronavirus, nothing less than 

a revolution in rural sustainable 

development can prevent another crisis. 

Like our ancestors, we must learn to heed 

the call of the land, the rhythm of the seasons, 

the social bonds that hold us together. We must 

value the farmers, healers and teachers. This 

virus has shaken the very foundations of our 

societies. How we build on those foundations, 

though, is up to all of us. 

Aid is forthcoming from the community of 

nations – the World Bank has already made 

$160 billion available to the developing world, 

the IMF is encouraging developing nations to 

forgo debt-service payments and instead direct 

resources to fighting the virus. More will be 

needed, but we must also ensure it is deployed 

wisely. Aid must serve to develop sustainable 

rural economies, rather than encouraging 

further urban sprawl and overcrowding. 

In the developing world, progress has long 

been tied to the success of a handful a megacities, 

powering economic growth and acting as 

magnets for a formerly largely rural population. 

The virus has shown that many of these cities 

are unhygienic, often unliveable. 

Many of the slums and shanty towns of the 

world, like Mumbai’s Dharavi slum, which has 

already seen hundreds of cases of Covid-19, are 

so densely populated that even staying at home 

does not achieve the aims of social distancing. 

A model that relies on mega-cities powered 

by cheap labour from the slums may survive 

the virus, but it must not survive the effort to 

rebuild our economies after the pandemic. 

Developed economies may be considering 

the impact of reduced international travel or 

greater remote working on GDP. In developing 

countries, by contrast, both the virus and the 

measures governments have rightly taken 

to contain it threaten families’ ability to feed 

themselves. 

To build sustainable, resilient and 

harmonious societies, we must begin with the 

food on our tables – where it comes from, how 

it reaches us, and what it means to us. No one 



should live with the fear that they or 

their family should go hungry. No one 

should fear that the food and drink they 

live on could put their health in danger. 

Our gardens of flowers could also 

accommodate fruits and vegetables. 

The focus in the developing world 

will soon shift from the immediate 

public health response to the virus, 

to how best to support jobs and the 

economy, and to build a sustainable 

recovery. Economists warn that the 

collapse in commodity prices, tourism 

and remittances is already having 

devastating consequences, even before 

the disease begins to spread and weak 

health systems struggle to cope. 

In developing countries, the virus 

poses a genuine threat to food security 

through disruption of international 

supply chains. The United Nations 

Food and Agriculture Organisation 

(UN FAO) found that the pandemic 

will significantly increase risks to food 

security and hinder humanitarian 

assistance operations. Even before the 

virus struck, at the end of 2019, the 

Global Network Against Food Crises 

found that 135 million people across 

55 countries and territories experienced 

acute food insecurity. 

Developing skills in farming and 

a move towards self-sufficiency in 

domestic food production must be at 

the centre of every country’s plan for a 

sustainable recovery. This will require 

a reversal of previous trends. UN 

research shows that as farming systems 

have modernised and intensified, the 

amount of land available for farming 

has been growing ever more slowly. On 

current trends, arable land will grow at a 

rate of 0.4% in countries for which data 

is available, despite improvements in 

irrigation and farming technology. 

Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the 

UN FAO has already called on nations 

to ‘strengthen local production and 

shorten food supply chains’. Noting the 

potential for improved technological 

infrastructure to improve agricultural 

efficiency, Qu says ‘The crisis opens 

an opportunity to accelerate food 

system transformation’, ‘New business 


models are needed. It is the time to 

speed-up e-commerce in agriculture 

and food systems across the globe.’ I 

have instructed my bank, Hinduja Bank 

Switzerland, to develop this field so that 

it may become a reality for our clients 

across the world with India as our 

starting point. 

This starts with education, which 

goes further to shape the world of the 

future than any other intervention. The 

next generation of workers, political 

leaders and opinion formers must be 

trained and literate in the new priorities 

for the post-virus world. We must value 

agriculture, horticulture, hygiene and 

caring skills above all else. That should 

be reflected in our children’s curriculum 

and educational funding. As Co-Chair of 

the UN Global Accelerator Programme, I 

want to use this platform to encourage 

young entrepreneurs to take up the 

mantle in this regard. 

National governments will need to 

create attractive schemes for students 

from different walks of life to want to live 

in semi-urban and rural development 

areas. 

Stories of panic buying in the early 

stages of the pandemic have led us to 

consider our food system. In the West, 

we have become used to just-in-time 

supply chains and a rapacious hunger 

for choice when it comes to food, with 

no regard to seasonality or where 

our food comes from. In time we may 

come to see this as emblematic of an 

era of unsustainable consumption, and 

change our ways. 

The developing world will leapfrog 

the West – it must not develop this 

unsustainable system, but should 

instead be at the forefront of creating 

an entirely new food system. Food 

production will work in harmony with 

the land and the seasons, designed 

according to principles of hygiene and 

providing employment for new rural 

communities. Population density will 

decrease, and community nursing 

and caring, teachers from our own 

communities will be ever more 

important. 

The role of semi-urban and 

rural communities in sustainable 

development is not a new agenda. My 

own father, Mr S. P. Hinduja, was among 

the first to champion to the concept at 

the UN, and I picked up the theme when 

I addressed the UN General Assembly 

in 2014. In countries like India, we 

urged Governments and development 

agencies to build and develop semi 

urban and rural communities centred 

around the family. As we navigate 

through the crisis, a rural revolution can 

point the way to a sustainable future. 

It is vital that those privileged to gain 

international education that they return 

to their communities to help with this 

work. 

Rural development and lower 

population density can be compatible 

with continued economic growth and 

sustainability. Developing agricultural 

infrastructure will create employment 

opportunities across the skills spectrum 

and will sustainably deploy the natural 

capital of less developed countries. My 

father’s visionary approach of so many 

years ago has today become the reality 

and the truth of our future. 

We cannot, however, allow this crisis 

to foster a culture of dependence on 

international aid in the form of handouts. 

In the past 20 years, under the UN’s 

Sustainable Development Goals, huge 

progress has been made in ensuring 

that support for the developing world 

builds resilience and independence. We 

must ensure that the world we build 

after this pandemic is one in which 

developing countries shape their own 

destinies, create economies that reflect 

their own values, and learn their own 

lessons from the crisis. 

When this virus passes, we will have 

the opportunity to remake the world. As 

we all suffer at the hands of a common 

enemy, we must show compassion for 

one another – and consider what it is 

we value in society. We must call on 

national and international leaders to 

clear their minds, listen to nature, and 

reflect on what we have learned in this 

crisis. 

19


SHUTTERSTOCK 

Streets are empty. Shops are shuttered. 

Offices are abandoned. Across Europe 

a number of weeks ago, buildings of 

work and leisure emptied of people and in 

parallel, domestic settings filled up. Millions of 

Europeans filled up houses and apartments, 

taking up residence for 24 hours a day, 7 days 

a week. 

Coronavirus, COVID-19, has pushed 

Europeans behind the doors of their homes 

and the dynamics of daily life have shifted. In 

reality, work to a certain extent has continued, 

childcare and care of older persons has 

expanded, and the monotony of life in 

confinement has set in. 

However, in addition to these every day 

realities, in many European households a 

darker phenomenon is being played out, 

where women, men and children, are now 

locked up in close quarters for an indefinite 

amount of time with abusers. For many, 

domestic violence is as much a reality of life in 

confinement as work, childcare and boredom. 

The Istanbul Convention defines 

domestic violence as “all acts of physical, 

sexual, psychological or economic violence 

that occur within the family or domestic 

unit or between former or current spouses 

or partners, whether or not the perpetrator 

shares or has shared the same residence with 

the victim”. Domestic violence is played out in 

silence, behind closed doors, where nobody 

can hear or see. Instances have spiked during 

this lockdown period, with major increases 

reported in countries across the world. There 

are two factors that are contributing to this 

increase in cases. 

The first is that abusers, with more stress 

and pressure than normal, are locked into 

domestic settings. The OECD assesses that the 

social consequences of COVID-19, such as the 

loss of social interactions, additional stresses 

Frances 

Fitzgerald 

Irish member of the 

European Parliament 

with the EPP Group – EPP 

Group Coordinator of the 

European Parliament’s 

Committee on Women’s 

Rights and Gender Equality 



Behind 

Closed 

Doors 

Domestic Violence Amid 

the COVID-19 Pandemic 

By Frances Fitzgerald 

within the home and the inability to leave the home are likely to 

be used to justify violence. In addition, as men most frequently 

perpetrate domestic violence, it is significantly linked to power 

dynamics. In these high-pressure times, violence is likely to be used 

as a way for men to reassert authority and control over women in the 

domestic setting, lashing out in frustration at the current situation. 

The second factor is the lack of available support services for 

victims. While many meetings and services have moved online 

instead of in person, due to close proximity to abusers in the 

household it is very difficult as well as often dangerous for victims 

to try to seek support or help through online fora. The consequences 

of their abuser discovering their efforts to seek help may be grievous. 

Together, these two factors allow the circle of violence to continue 

unabated, with tensions continuing to rise in the household while 

victims feel increasingly alone, abandoned and isolated. As politicians, 

it is our duty and responsibility to do whatever we can to protect all 

of our citizens during this period, not just from COVID-19, but also 

from other dangers that may be hiding within our neighbourhoods 

and communities. 

I am heartened to see action being taken in many EU Member 

States to tackle domestic violence in the current climate. In France 

for example, clinics have been set up in grocery stores to allow 

victims to seek help while they are doing their shopping. In Spain, 

a code word has been circulated to allow women to seek help in 

pharmacies. In Ireland, a new campaign has been launched (stillhere. 

ie) to remind citizens to be on the lookout for domestic violence, 

and to provide support to victims. In countries across the continent 

and indeed across the world, funding for domestic violence support 

organisations has been offered by governments, while the attention 

of police officers has been drawn to the crime, and they have been 

advised to be vigilant. 

As Minister for Justice in Ireland, in 2017 I brought forward 

legislation tackling domestic violence that allows for an immediate 

and temporary barring order from the home where there is 

reasonable grounds to believe there is an immediate risk of 

significant harm. Such orders will prove crucial during these weeks. 

All of these crucially important measures are aimed at helping 

and supporting victims. However, while politicians can put in place 

measures to try to tackle domestic violence, it is the actions of the 

general public that are needed to combat this scourge. People know 

their neighbours, they hear them more and they see them more, 

even just when putting out the bins or sitting on the balcony. With 

technology, we are in touch with family and friends often much more 

than we have been in years. 

The reality is that the greatest action we can take when it comes 

to combating domestic violence will be the vigilance and attention 

paid by the general public, by friends, by family and by neighbours. 

So, while you are checking in with at risk neighbours, while you are 

doing grocery shopping for elderly relatives, or even while you are 

reading your book and happen to hear something strange from 

next door, pause for a moment and pick up the phone, just to check 

if everything is ok. Because in these times, behind closed doors, it 

really is better to be safe than sorry. 


21


Leadership Reconceptualized: A Compass 

for the Leaders of the New Global Era 

By Vassili Apostolopoulos 

The New Era 

Deconstructing the New Era, is a formidable task. 

As I am writing these lines, the world has nearly 

stopped, with more than 180 countries fighting 

the Coronavirus, imposing different forms of 

social distancing and lockdown measures. 

The pandemic of COVID-19 has changed the 

world in ways and to lengths that we can 

still not begin to fathom. Economics, politics, 

international relations, and governance, on 

all levels seem to be fundamentally changing. 

The ways in which firms, governments, 

international organizations, societies, and 

even families and individuals operate will 

change forever. Until a fully-fledged and widely 

available vaccine alleviates the health risk and 

contributes to efficiently managing the crisis, 

social distancing, restrictive measures in work 

and travel, fear and insecurity, instability and 

uncertainty will be part of our lives. And, even 

after the vaccine, the major global effort of 

preventing the next pandemic, by building a 

sustainable early warning system with solid 

safeguards and rapid response mechanisms 

across the globe and within states and societies 

will need to become our top priority. 

Leadership, Global Governance 

& the Next Pandemic 

pandemic- for which we had been warned a year 

in advance, in 2008 and had failed to act. More 

systematic global monitoring, early warning 

and proactive prevention models, need to be 

developed on a global level. Crucial institutions 

like the World Health Organization and the 

United Nations will need to be revamped, 

strengthened and upgraded. Shortcomings 

in global leadership during the COVID-19 

pandemic came at a great cost, and a major 

global crisis was treated very poorly and highly 

unsystematically in some of its most decisive 

phases. Leadership cannot be a la carte, and 

global cooperation in the face of existential 

global crises cannot be elective. Pandemics, 

climate change, conflicts, resource scarcity, and 

other major crises or challenges that require to 

some measure global responses, will need to be 

managed differently going forward. If not, the 

next crisis may be one with unthinkable damage 

to our world and societies. 

Simply put, if we were to have another 

pandemic in 2022 with a different deadly 

virus, could we survive it? And at what cost? 

The global political economy and the very fabric 

of our societies nearly crumbled the past two 

months. A change of course is inevitable, if we 

want to secure the future of this world. And 

fresh leadership on all levels is direly needed. 

Vassili 

Apostolopoulos 

CEO of the Athens 

Medical Group 

(AMG) - President 

of the Hellenic 

Entrepreneurs 

Association (EENE) 

Averting the next Pandemic, is the foremost 

collective responsibility, for leaders of all 

fields; from politicians to doctors, from health 

experts to corporate leaders, from researchers 

to philanthropists; we all need to contribute 

to the race for a vaccine, for effective and 

accessible cures, but also, to develop the 

action plan which will change the habits and 

the vicious cycles that generate new viruses. In 

our interconnected world, where poor hygienic 

conditions in a wet market in China, can within 

months bring the world into a standstill, global 

governance undoubtedly requires an overhaul. 

The same applies to dealing with the root 

causes of infectious diseases such as influenzas, 

the bird flu, and then the swine flu -the previous 

The Domestic Dimension: 

Health (&) Economics Revisited 

For most countries around the world, the 

COVID-19 pandemic has been an existential 

challenge. The predominant fear has been the 

risk of a collapse of the national health systems; 

with healthcare seen as a mix of separate and 

antagonistic spheres – public health, private 

healthcare, supporting infrastructure such as 

health units belonging to the armed forces, or 

the police; and very different responses in each 

country, even within the European Union. For 

example Greece, emerged as one of the world’s 

most exemplary cases of good management 

of the crisis, when larger states in Europe, 



Eurasia and even the US, fell short of a 

well-coordinated and timely response. 

In regions of Italy, for example, 

the capacity of the health systems 

was exceeded, with devastating 

ramifications. Better and more 

comprehensive planning of health 

systems will be imperative, and the 

pandemic has catalyzed a multilayered 

rethink of the complementarity of 

public and private healthcare, as well as 

the decisive investments needed in so 

many countries to furnish their health 

systems going forward. Private-public 

partnerships, coordinated research and 

innovation campaigns, unprecedented 

national and international synergies will 

need to be part of the new compass if 

we are to emerge victorious in the longgame 

too. 

Rebuilding our Economies 

& the New World Order 

The global political economy has 

shifted. The balance of power too. The 

world has transitioned to multipolarity 

and the aftermath of COVID-19 will 

inevitably demarcate a new era. Several 

pre-existing trends and dynamics – such 

as digitization, digital transformation, 

e-learning - have been accelerated, 

and new have emerged. I wonder 

who believes that travel and mobility 

will rapidly return to the status quo 

ante. Or who can now imagine that 

all these convenient tele-conference 

and e-meeting platforms will simply go 

away. So much time, money and energy 

is saved. Productivity unlocked. We are 

looking at a new normal, not a return to 

the pre-COVID-19 reality. E-commerce, 

greater degrees of energy autonomy, a 

rethink of the agrofood economy, the 

role of agrotech, better monitoring of 

food production globally, the degrees 

of self-sufficiency, are just a few of the 

dynamics that we will be called upon 

to manage in the coming months. 

The applications of 3D-printing, the 

importance of good internet access, the 

costs of pollution and the need for clean 

cities, the importance of well-organized 

states and societies, good hygiene and 


the notions of collective and individual 

responsibility are just some thoughts of 

what’s now becoming part of today and 

cannot be allowed to be lost tomorrow. 

In other words, the way now is forward; 

and we cannot move forward swiftly 

if we are to keep carrying with us the 

burdens of the past. 

In the digital realm, it appears that 

globalization will continue to accelerate; 

in the physical realm, however, the 

return of national borders and different 

degrees of isolationism suggest that 

globalization as we experienced it before 

2020, will change. A new set of rules 

must be agreed upon in healthcare, 

medical research, sustainability, 

the food industry, immigration and 

environmental policies. 

The rise of e-commerce, coupled 

with the evolution of robotics, will create 

new pressing challenges – for real estate 

and employment. And these dynamics 

that are rapidly unfolding, accelerated 

by the pandemic, come at a time when 

the preventive measures imposed have 

affected close to 3 billion professionals 

(or 81% of the global workforce 

according to the ILO), and when 

unemployment is rising exponentially in 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

some of the world’s leading economies 

(e.g. US and UK). 

Corporate leaders who acted fast 

in response to the pandemic, placing 

corporate social responsibility and their 

patriotic responsibility above all else, will 

most likely find a warmer embrace by 

the public in the new era, rewarded for 

putting health before profits and human 

life before balance sheets. The need for 

fresh leadership from businesses will 

once again be pivotal, in rescuing the 

economy and ensuring a rapid recovery. 

Most countries are looking at a massive 

recession in 2020, anywhere between 

5-15% of GDP. Innovation, new business 

strategies, new revenue models, more 

circular business ecosystems, more 

sustainable projects and investments, 

cleaner and greener will have to be part 

of the new compass. More furnished 

and safer supply chains, comprehensive 

global agro-food standards, upgraded 

monitoring, empowered international 

organizations and more powerful, 

responsible states. Not because it is 

the right thing to do. Not out of ethical 

commitments to future generations. 

But because we all know now, that our 

very survival depends on it. 

23


The Quest for 

the Single 

Antibody to End 

the COVID-19 

Pandemic 

By Jake Glanville & Aishani Aatresh 

Dr. Jake 

Glanville and 

Aishani 

Aatresh 

Jake Glanville 

Distributed Bio, CEO & 

Founding Partner 

& Aishani Aatresh 

Computational 

Immunoengineering 

Affiliate at Distributed 

Bio 

The Beginning 

Although it may now feel like an 

entirely distant past, just three short 

months ago on January 22, Netflix 

released Pandemic: How to Prevent an 

Outbreak. 

Over a year prior, our company 

Distributed Bio was tapped for this 

docuseries because of our work on 

broad-spectrum vaccine technologies 

for influenza (spearheaded by team 

lead Sarah Ives) that was eventually 

awarded a Gates Grand Challenge 

Award for “Ending the Pandemic 

Threat.” That Wednesday in January, 

the company watched the first three 

episodes together in a rented theater, 

the screening marked by Jake’s joking 

that no one would see the series due 

to the sheer number of titles of Netflix. 

But in a turn of events that can 

only be termed a spooky coincidence, 

a novel coronavirus was spreading 

exponentially and the world was on its 

way to a pandemic. On January 23, the 

central government of China ordered a 

lockdown in Wuhan and other localities 

of the Hubei province, effectively 

quarantining 57 million people. Over 

the next few weeks, SARS-CoV-2 became 

seemingly the only thing the world could 

talk about — and Pandemic became one 

of the most popular titles on Netflix. 

Life at Distributed Bio began to 

move at a breakneck pace right after the 

quarantine order in China. On January 

27, Jake flew to Washington, D.C. with his 

wife Erin and baby daughter Seraphine 

to attend the American Society for 

Microbiology Biothreats conference 

and meet with DARPA (the Defense 

Advanced Research Projects Agency, 

an agency within the Department of 

Defense) and BARDA (the Biomedical 

Advanced Research and Development 

Authority, an office of the Department 

of Health and Human Services). 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of 

the National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Disease and now-member 

of the White House Coronavirus Task 

Force, was also in attendance. He 

remarked that the virus was likely no 

longer containable. 

He was not shaking hands. 

The BARDA meeting ended up being 

canceled, while the DARPA meeting still 

stood for the following day but just to 

discuss the novel coronavirus. Jake 

retreated from the conference and 

returned with a plan to engineer new 

medicines for the virus. When Jake, Dr. 

David Gangemi (Director of Virology), 

and Stephanie Wisner (a new team 

member working with Centivax, the 

spinout therapeutics company from 

Distributed Bio) eventually met with 

DARPA, the agency expressed interest 

— but they had already given funding 

away. Regardless, Jake decided to 

proceed, contacting Shahrad Daraeikia 

and Jack Wang at Distributed Bio to 

spearhead the effort to rapidly generate 

a neutralizing monoclonal antibody 

against the viral coat protein by evolving 

a panel of known neutralizing antibodies 

against SARS, a cousin of SARS-CoV-2. 

(Antibodies are proteins that serve 

as the soldiers of the body’s immune 

system that fight various pathogens 

in a highly specific, lock-and-key-esque 

relationship.) 

The following week, he and Sarah 

flew to the Gates Foundation in Seattle, 

Washington to meet other awardees 

of the “End the Pandemic Threat” 

Grand Challenge award. Over the next 

five weeks, Shahrad and Jack ran the 

COVID-19 program as a side project; 

the disease continued to progress 

alarmingly — in Wuhan, then Europe, 

and then Seattle and New York. 

On March 11, the World Health 

Organization declared COVID-19 a 

pandemic. 

Moments of Truth 

By March 16, six counties around 

the San Francisco Bay Area were given 

a stay-at-home order, bringing Northern 

California (and, eventually, the entire 

state) to a screeching halt. A COVID-19 

case had been reported at Audentes, a 

company that shares the building with 

Distributed Bio, so both its sites had 

to be scrubbed. Our employees were 

growing increasingly concerned, as 



many were starting to learn of second or third-degree exposure to 

known cases. The COVID-19 project was progressing to demand 

more time and more people, just as the ability to wield more of 

either was quickly diminishing. Over the course of the day, Jake 

talked to employees about discussing their willingness and level of 

comfort to come in on a voluntary basis to work on the COVID-19 

with their families. 

That night, he went home feeling defeated, not knowing 

whether or not the effort was dead in the water. However, that 

question was answered just the next morning: Jake woke up to 

an army, the whole team engaged and ready to be the David to 

the Goliath of COVID-19. 

This rallying cry took the fight to the next level. We designed 

an ultra-accelerated strategy to engineer and identify the optimal 

antibodies for therapeutics candidates, the entire company 

working on just this one project given health constraints — a 

remarkable experience for the team. We began working in 

shifts, days and nights and weekdays and weekends, braving 

engineering hiccups and supply chain interruptions in addition 

to the pandemic itself. 

On March 30th, that resilience and streamlined efficiency 

paid off. We had official confirmation that we had succeeded 

and generated hundreds of hits with high-quality antibodies 

against the virus (with multiple extremely high-affinity, picomolar 

binders). Over the past month, we have filtered through these 

candidate molecules, identified our leads, and sent them across 

the world for other groups to run neutralization and in-vivo 

studies or utilize for diagnostic tests. 

The Road Ahead 

However, the fight is far from over. Our mission is to engineer 

medicines that matter at a price the world can afford. The specific 

goal with COVID-19 is two-fold: one, produce a medicine that 

would end the pandemic this fall by providing treatments in 

hospitals for those who are already sick — something a vaccine 

cannot do — and offering short-term immunity as a prophylactic 

for the healthcare workers and others at the front lines, and two, 

to produce a broad-spectrum antibody so we never have to worry 

about an outbreak from the coronavirus family ever again. But 

while it is scientifically demanding to engineer medicines that 

matter at such an accelerated pace, it is also a major financial 

challenge. 

Distributed Bio has never taken venture capital money 

and is entirely self-funded, but the expenses of scaling up 

manufacturing and clinical trials run in the many hundreds of 

millions of dollars. We are actively working on expediting the 

process and acquiring funding from a variety of sources that don’t 

require us to compromise on our mission, but we are running 

into bureaucracies on a variety of avenues that are a challenge 

in a difficult time of crisis. At the same time, in part due to the 

release of Pandemic, we have attracted media attention from a 

variety of high-profile outlets ranging from The New York Times 

and MIT Technology Review to CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox, and we 

have built a strong grassroots support network that has become 


an invaluable part of this journey. 

Although we’re just out of the discovery phase of the drug 

development process, a few exceedingly clear ideas have 

emerged over our work of the last few weeks that will certainly 

continue to unfold over the coming months. 

First, our computationally guided immunoengineering 

platforms meant that a team of 30 people — and really 3 

people for the first 6 weeks — completed engineering as fast as 

pharmaceutical companies with over $100 million of government 

financial support to engineering effective antibodies the fastest. If 

this shows nothing else, it demonstrates the emerging power of 

new technologies and, in the words of anthropologist Margaret 

Mead, to “[n]ever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, 

committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only 

thing that ever has.” 

Second, it highlights how crucial it is that our goals are not 

myopic. As with a universal influenza vaccine and universal 

antivenom, we have set out to treat not only the current crisis, 

but also to target the SARS-CoV-3, SARS-CoV-4, and any future 

coronavirus threat that will ever attempt to plague humanity 

again by generating broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus antibodies. 

While extreme social distancing as a non-pharmaceutical 

intervention has proven vital to reduce death rates and keep 

healthcare systems above water, its socioeconomic impacts have 

been devastating. National and international shutdowns cannot 

be the answer for every pandemic or sub-wave of a pandemic. 

As a scientific community, we need to look to the future and 

ensure that we are solving the forever war against all versions of 

coronavirus, and as a global community, we need to fund those 

solutions in order to be prepared and able to act quickly. 

Finally, our unique position compared to large venture-backed 

organizations of being an underdog, but one with extensive media 

exposure and global grassroots support, creates for us a better 

chance of an extra-financial objective of creating a permanently 

more healthy society. Science to create medicines is invaluable, 

but the people who receive the medicines should be the “why” 

behind the entire scientific system. The flexibility afforded by 

our financial structure as well as the strategic collaboration it 

necessitates enables us to address some of the fundamental 

limitations of pharma and traditional funding that do not reward 

medicines that shrink their own markets, price out patients from 

lifesaving medicines, and fail to reach major segments of the 

global population. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is just the beginning. If we approach 

the next few months the right way and mobilize the international 

community, the crisis of this pandemic can be all but over by fall 

through the right combination of testing, contacting tracing, and 

just one successful clinically proven antibody therapeutic. And 

if we continue charging ahead, it will also be just the beginning 

of the fight for a pathogen-free humanity — engineering broadspectrum 

medicines for the world to ensure that the next possible 

pandemic and every single one after that will never be anything 

more than a mild outbreak. 

Stay healthy, and stay safe. 

25


Nurses – The Heroes at the 

Frontline of Healthcare 

By Paul de Raeve 

When health crisis occurs, the 

nursing profession is always 

at the frontline working for 

citizens and patients. This has been part 

of the European history since the time 

of Florence Nightingale. In times of war 

and pandemics, when the population 

needs healing and support, the nurses 

are at the frontline day and night. 

All of these are the reality in the 

present time too, in which the ongoing 

COVID19 pandemic is greatly impacting 

EU citizens life. Many EU countries have 

put their populations in lockdown for 

a few weeks already, with very few 

exceptions. The soundest are the nurses 

and the healthcare professionals, 

who still need to go to work, often 

unprotected and untrained on the 

COVID-19 disease. Locked citizens have 

expressed their appreciation to the 

frontline nursing workforce, by signing, 

by applauding, and even donating 

funds. Nurses’ holistic and altruistic 

approach to healthcare made respectful 

and even admirable to citizens. 

In the current context, nurses 

are labelled as “heroes” by citizens 

and stakeholders precisely because 

of the conditions in which they are 

approaching their frontline nursing care. 

When citizens get infected by COVID-19 

disease and need hospitalisation, all 

their human interaction for a period 

of time will be reduced and nurses are 

central to human dignity, ensuring a 

quick and efficient recovery. This is 

nursing care. However, in doing so, 

the lack of protective equipment and 

knowledge exposing frontline to get 

infected, and even to bring the disease 

back to their families when they go 

home, is a huge concern to nurses, as 

they are the ones touching the patients, 

washing the patients, providing the 

most complex care needed. For some 

patients who die from the disease, 

there are cases of nurses who have set 

videocalls with their relatives so they 

could say goodbye. There are cases of 

nurses sleeping at healthcare facilities, 

to make sure that they do not spread 

the disease to their families. For all of 

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these, the population rightly identifies 

nurses as “heroes”. 

But let’s be realistic! 

The COVID-19 outbreak has proved 

the need of a holistic and integrated 

approach. The outbreak occurred in a 

context in which most EU healthcare 

systems were already under heavy 

pressure due to already existing 



Paul de Raeve 

Secretary General 

of the European 

Federation of Nurses 

Associations 


challenges: the rise in life expectancy, the 

ageing population, the growing number 

of people living with comorbidities and 

chronic diseases, etc. As a result, some 

already existing structural weaknesses 

have now deepened. 

And nurses were still recovering from 

the aftermath of the economic crisis of 

2008, which negatively influenced the 

nursing workforce. Covid19 has shown 

that Europe’s healthcare systems need 

to be strengthened to be better prepared 

to future possible scenarios such as 

the current pandemic. Sufficient and 

safe workforce staffing levels are key 

for the right functioning of healthcare 

ecosystems. Healthcare systems were 

dramatically understaffed with highly 

qualified general care nurses (DIR55) 

and to alleviate the situation, several EU 

countries have introduced emergency 

measures such as hiring back retired 

healthcare professionals or introducing 

student nurses as assistants. Of course, 

these measures are not taken without a 

risk. 

Due to their involvement, European 

nurses expect the EU and national leaders 

to be involved to the same extent, and 

to take concrete and immediate actions 

to support them, the “heroes” of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. EU institutions, 

governments and all health stakeholders 

should immediately take concrete actions: 

Support the EU health workforce, 

in particular the nursing workforce, to 

respond to the challenges of Infectious 

Diseases of High Consequences (IDHC) 

without compromising its safety and 

wellbeing, through coordinating and 

building capacity in the nursing workforce, 

providing further access to vital education 

and training that includes opportunities 

for regular drills on donning and doffing 

PPE, and assuring the provision of 

adequate resources and support for a 

safe working environment. 

The ongoing pandemic proved the 

European Commission that its structures 

were not prepared to protect the 

health workforce. At the national level, 

protection and testing devices were 

insufficient and, in some cases, not even 

available. This translated into avoidable 

risks for the nursing workforce, who had 

to approach the frontline unprotected 

and sometimes unprepared, often with 

deadly consequences. 

Furthermore, co-creating and codesigning 

with frontline nurses fitfor-purpose 

political decision-making 

processes and policies for IDHC 

preparedness is a must. This is a challenge 

for the European Commission as their 

only counterparts are the Member 

States and sometimes academics who 

they ask for advice, but not frontline 

healthcare professionals. Healthcare 

professionals, in particular nurses, are 

often kept out of the decision-making 

equation, making political actions often 

unfit-for-purpose. This accounts for the 

lack of pragmatism in the decision taken 

by national governments in handling the 

COVID-19 crisis. 

The new coronavirus outbreak proves 

that more EU support to the frontline is 

needed when emergencies emerge. EU 

citizens need EU policies that protect 

frontline staff from working overtime and 

of being continuously understaffed. 

The nursing workforce will need to be 

better equipped to be able to handle the 

next pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak 

is having an unforeseen impact across all 

EU countries, and it is affecting all layers 

of society. 

In sum, EU institutions, national 

governments, and all health stakeholders, 

need to make sure that the nursing 

workforce is approaching the frontline 

with the right equipment, training, and 

staffing levels. And that should be done 

not only for them, but for the interest of 

EU citizens and patients too. 

The European Commission continues 

being a stakeholder with whom the 

nursing profession engages in constant 

dialogue, but a new area of cooperation 

has arisen coordinating actions to tackle 

the health crisis with the EU Member 

States. Moreover, the EFN continues being 

engaged with all interested EU and health 

stakeholders to do what is best for the 

frontline nursing profession across the EU 

and Europe, and in doing so, maximising 

the health outcomes of patients affected 

by the COVID-19 disease. 

27


5G: A Backbone for Europe’s 

Economic Recovery 

By Afke Schaart 

Afke Schaart 

Vice President and 

Head of Europe, 

Russia and CIS 

countries of the GSMA 

- Former Member of 

the Parliament of the 

Netherlands 

One of the biggest strengths 

of the GSMA is our ability to 

convene 110,000 people from 

90 countries for the annual Mobile 

World Congress in Barcelona – suddenly 

became a challenge in the face of a fastmoving 

new virus, COVID-19. We were 

forced to cancel the trade show on 

February 12, when many still said there 

was no reason to fear. 

Leadership in crisis takes guts. 

In the weeks that followed, we have 

cancelled other global events, examined 

priorities and realigned resources to 

help meet unprecedented challenges 

confronting the mobile communications 

industry and political leaders. 

One of our first actions was to 

coordinate the sharing of aggregated 

and anonymised mobile data between 

Europe’s largest telecom operators and 

the European Commission to help track 

COVID-19 and determine where medical 

equipment is needed. 

In April, we published our new 

Privacy Principles for COVID-19 to 

promote best practice for handling 

mobile data to fight the spread of the 

virus. Recognising the urgency with 

which governments must act, the 

guidelines provide a tool to address the 

privacy issues that must be considered 

to ensure public trust. 

Our strength – more than 200 

mobile network operators in Europe 

and 750 globally – remains crucial in 

an economic and political environment 

responding to demands and concerns in 

an evolving situation. The GSMA is more 

committed than ever to governance of a 

digital world based on common values 

that underpin the single market. 

As a non-profit association, the 

GSMA works across industries to align 

best practices around AI and technology 

standards for electronic SIM cards, 

for example. We coordinate industry 

working groups to combat cyber 

threats, and to promote the adoption 

of international safety guidelines for 

electromagnetic exposure. 

That work has an urgent sense of 



purpose in this crisis: Cybercrime has spiked and critical 

network infrastructure has come under attack. Arsonists 

have set fire to more than 80 telecoms antennas in eight 

European countries and scores of frontline engineers have 

been harassed by people who believed conspiracy theories 

and false claims linking 5G technology to COVID-19. 

In our fight against the surge in misinformation and fake 

news on social media, we shared evidence of the damage 

The mobile industry needs 

a united voice because 

decisions made in the 

coming months around 

rules for digital services, 

AI and competition, 

for example, will have 

profound consequences 

for businesses and citizens 

throughout Europe. 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

to telecom networks with policymakers and international 

organisations. Following an independent review, the 

World Health Organization, added 5G to its Myths Buster 

webpage about false causes and cures. The International 

Telecommunication Union also issued a statement confirming 

that there is no scientific link between 5G and COVID-19. We 

continue to work across institutions and with news media 

to dispel public fears contrary to science and decades of 

research. 

Social distancing is the new normal but, we continue to 

work closely in the regions and encourage our communities 

to come together in this crisis. The mobile industry needs a 

united voice because decisions made in the coming months 

around rules for digital services, AI and competition, for 

example, will have profound consequences for businesses 

and citizens throughout Europe. 

Living and working in lockdown conditions underscores 

the critical importance of our connectivity. Video conference 

calls on 5G networks, which have data speeds up to 10-times 

faster than current 4G networks, would eliminate the gaps 

and “Oh, sorry, you go first” overlaps in conversations. 

We are convinced that 5G will be a backbone for Europe’s 

economic recovery and drive the shift to greener vertical 

industries. Edge computing, data, artificial intelligence will 

be the building blocks of the new economy. 

Before this health crisis, the digital economy was 

expected to add 1.1 percentage points to the European 

Union’s annual economic growth and to boost GDP by 

over 14% by 2030, according to the European Commission’s 

estimates. That would have meant €2 trillion of GDP by 

2030, roughly equal to Italy’s gross domestic production 

last year. 

We know governments are under enormous financial 

strain and will need to prioritise funding for their healthcare 

systems, small businesses and unemployed workers. We will 

need to find innovative solutions for the €500 million in private 

and public investments needed to build a 5G infrastructure 

that can turbo-charge the region’s growth. 

Leading conversations about digital change is central to 

the GSMA. In a crisis, those conversations are often about 

innovation and adaptation. New models for success are born. 

And there will be no better place to share those success 

stories than in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress in 

2021. 


29

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PHARMEX SA IS A LEADING COMPANY, SUPPLYING BOTH THE GREEK AND THE AFRICAN MARKETS 

WITH PHARMACEUTICAL AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS OF ITS OWN PRODUCTION, 

THROUGH THE COMPANY’S FACILITIES LOCATED IN ATHENS,GREECE AND LUSAKA, ZAMBIA


Political 

Economy of 

a Pandemic

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF A PANDEMIC 

The EU in Crisis? 

A Pragmatist’s Take 

By Antonio López-Istúriz White 



Antonio López- 

Istúriz White 

SHUTTERSTOCK 


the European People’s 

Party – Spanish 

member of the 


with the EPP Group 

The European Union has always been both 

a topic and the subject of polarisation. On 

the one hand is the supposedly idealistic 

pro-EU camp, on the other the supposedly 

egoistic Eurosceptics. For sixty years, thus have 

we framed the debate — a debate which has 

ironically led to even further, deeper polarisation 

and ultimately to underperformance on the part 

of all stakeholders, national as well as European, 

in times of crisis. 

After more than twenty years living and 

breathing this European debate, I am convinced 

we must change the narrative. The EU is not a 

matter of either love or hate; it exists because 

we need it. We needed it after the Second World 

War; and we need it today, more than ever. I 

might be Spanish, but the stereotype of being 

overly emotional does not apply in my case. In 

these crucial days for the European project, what 

makes me advocate even more enthusiastically 

for the EU is reason. Make no mistake: I am no 

devil’s advocate. Just a humble pragmatist. 

I see the traditional enemies of the European 

project being joined today by a new group of 


33


critics in a spiral of attacks against a weak 

and imperfect Union. Because democracy, 

since the times of the Athenians or 

the downfall of the Roman Republic, 

has always been weak and imperfect. 

Weak against the propaganda machine 

of autocrats, imperfect vis-à-vis the 

ostensible promises of messianic rule: 

an easy target for egocentric politicians 

able to accede to leadership but unable 

to actually lead, and in constant need of 

a scapegoat. 

I do not blame colleagues who, amidst 

the current crisis, suggest that China or 

Russia are showing greater solidarity than 

the EU itself. They suffer from the stress 

created by this pandemic, and from the 

lack of European leadership in comparison 

with the concrete actions, however 

insidious, which we are witnessing in 

other corners of the world. Let’s face the 

uncomfortable truth: the only way for 

democracy to survive is for leaders to step 

up in times of need. Unfortunately I do not 

see today a Pericles, Churchill or de Gaulle. 

“So then what?” an anxious Twitter 

follower might ask. Now enters the 

pragmatist (not to be confused with 

the bureaucrat!): someone who deep 

in his heart knows, like millions of other 

Europeans, that this imperfect Union, this 

artificial construct created by its Founders 

and still in ever-evolving process of 

creation, is the only shield protecting us 

from having Putin or the idolised leader 

of the Chinese Communist Party held 

aloft as a paragon of perfection. So what 

can we do to protect and promote our 

democracies and our European Union? 

First, we must humbly admit our 

mistakes. Looking back, we can detect 

two recent warning signs. The first was 

the refusal, by a significant number 

of European citizens, of the European 

Constitution; the second is the bad blood 

which has remained in many parts of 

our society after the financial crisis. I am 

convinced that European citizens want 

us to concentrate on solving their real 

problems rather than fixate on the details 

of a possible European senate or whether 

or when the EU might become a happy 

federation. Let’s leave these big dreams 

to the next generation — a generation I 

am confident will be capable of achieving 

them — and concentrate instead, in the 

here and now, on filling the fissures in the 

very hull of our ship. We all know there 

are many of them, the lack of coordination 

in health emergencies being one of the 

most tragic and prominent examples. 

(Ah! Had Member States only listened to 

Michel Barnier in 2006 when he proposed 

a European initiative to response to 

emergencies such as pandemics . . .) 

Secondly, we must be ambitious in real 

and concrete things. Like many others in 

the EU institutions, I am often weary of 

the reality that so many of our citizens are 

unaware of the good work we are doing. 

This is because the European Council, 

the EU’s only non-transparent body, is 

the one really calling the shots. I am tired 

of secret meetings by the EU’s real power 

players — i.e. our national governments: 

meetings in which bad decisions are 

blamed on the EU while good ones result 

in praise for visionary national leaders 

who in turn fail to ever mention the EU 

in their subsequent ’’war reports’’ to the 

press. Enough of this! When a new bridge 

is built in a small town, when EU citizens 

are no longer burdened by roaming 

fees, or when funds arrive to relieve the 

consequences of a critical pandemic: all 

this is thanks to the EU. But the fact is 

not recognised by some governments, 

interested only in convincing their 

electorates of their own ability to defend 

the national interest against imaginary 

usurpation and racketeering taking place 

in Brussels. 

Thirdly, we must be transparent and 

accountable. Those European countries 

which will be transparent in managing the 

coronavirus pandemic will also be the first 

to overcome the economic and social crisis 

ahead. In 1918 it was American soldiers 

who brought the so-called ‘’Spanish flu’’ to 

the battlefields of Europe, causing millions 

of deaths worldwide. Why did it come to 

be known as Spanish flu? Because Spain, 

a neutral country at the time, was alone in 

not counting deaths from the disease as 

casualties of war. The transparency that 

spawned such an ironic misnomer also 

gave to Spain a credibility it took other 

countries some time to regain. 

After more than 

twenty years living and 

breathing this European 

debate, I am convinced 

we must change the 

narrative. The EU is not 

a matter of either love 

or hate; it exists because 

we need it. We needed it 

after the Second World 

War; and we need it 

today, more than ever. 

In our current context, it is not 

European institutions which must be 

more transparent in their approach — 

they already are. Where transparency is 

lacking is on the part of some Member 

State governments. The deficiency 

therefore lies among members of the 

Council, a body which has not received 

a mandate on behalf of the entire 

European population. This is why we 

must again insist on a discussion of 

the Spitzenkandidat: a directly elected 

European leader, directly accountable to 

all European citizens. A leader who can 

take decisions at European level — and 

therefore a leader who is responsible for 

taking the lead and who can thus be held 

accountable for his or her actions. A leader 

elected by and for the European people. 

We must surely focus now on the 

immediate crisis at hand. But it will 

soon be time to return our attention to 

the future of Europe. To what kind of 

Europe we want and need. For though 

the EU is imperfect, make no mistake: it 

is a necessity. And it will be this crucial 

discussion which will allow us to overcome 

the current problems of transparency, 

accountability and coordination, and 

which will enable us to more efficiently 

prepare for future crises. But this is just 

the view of a pragmatist. 



Technology Now! Lessons learned 

from COVID19 and What’s Next 

By Eva Kaili 

2020 is a survival-mode year. Our 

reality has more similarities to the 

movie Contagion, than anyone 

would have ever imagined. Still, being in 

the middle of a pandemic, it is not the best 

time to reach conclusions as we have to 

deal with many uncertainties, at least until 

we have a promising treatment. However, 

it is of paramount importance to reflect on 

what has been done and what should have 

been done in a different way, in order to 

mitigate the risks and smooth the negative 

consequences of an emergency. 

Working in the field of emerging and 

exponential technologies for so many 

years, I find myself wondering why we had 

to go through such a pandemic to realize 

the potential of science and the tools we 

already have available but we do not use. 

What if we had adopted a more radical view 

in the margin of technological exploration, 

and a more aggressive position in policies 

that accelerate the technology transfer 

from the lab to the market? Then perhaps 

the current macroeconomic shock would 

have been less deep and potentially less 

lethal. 

Our world has been transformed; 

global challenges need common 

responses, and decentralized tailormade 

solutions. In the digital era social 

platforms empower communities, and 

now more than ever we feel closer to each 

other although we are in “house isolation” 

and “physical distancing”, since we face 

a common health threat that makes no 

exceptions or discriminations, and has no 

borders. 

It is already proven that the businesses 

and public organizations that have digital 

capabilities and, most importantly, 

digitalized processes are significantly 

more resilient and agile in their responses 

to the shifts in the demand and supply 

curves, meaning higher efficiency in the 

preservation of both their value and 

supply chains. Even more dramatically, 

public organizations with strong capacity 

to collect and leverage big data analytics 

where much more effective to tame the 

pandemic dynamics, act decisively where 

the need really was, and ensure socially 

responsible behavior. 

We do not know the exact social, 

organizational, financial and economic 

consequences of the pandemic. We 

know, though, for sure, that the effect 

will be significant and most likely we are 

entering into a “new normality”. The shape 

of this “new normality” will be determined 

by our understanding of the very notion 

of safety. Safety in terms of the forms of 

human action and collaboration, in terms 

of decision making procedures, in terms 

of trusted systems, in terms of privacy 

linked with social responsibility, in terms 

of institutionalizing crowd-sourcing in 

scientific research processes in order 

thousands of people to work together on 

urgent solutions, in terms of strength of 

the supply chains and in terms of demand 

management in times of emergencies. 

The first reflection from the crisis is 

that we learned – in a violent way – the 

difference between digitization and 

digitalization. Having in place digital 

capacity and tools – or being digitized – 

does not mean that we are safe. We need 

to have also procedures in place and an 

operational capability to merge these 

procedures with digital tools – or to be 

digitalized. 

The second reflection is that decision 

making without strong big data analytics 

is very weak. This means that we need 

public organizations – especially health 

related organizations, to have capabilities 

to collect data and analyze, with deep 

and reinforced learning techniques, high 



SHUTTERSTOCK 


quality of data. This means that we need to 

create reliable data governance methods 

with strong but agile privacy safeguards, to 

ensure high quality and robust algorithmic 

decision making to help health authorities in 

their work, to prevent the collapse of supply 

chains for vital instruments and inventories 

and to ensure a high quality monitoring of 

the emergency, in a level of granularity that 

is operationally optimal. 

The third reflection is about the way 

we work. I have already made a comment 

on the need to design procedures. It is not 

as complicated as it sounds though. At 

the end of the day, we all work either on 

repetitive tasks, most likely without the 

need of collaboration, or on creative tasks, 

that we need “studio” types of work so as to 

ensure collaboration. Every “teleconference” 

type of work can be easily replicated with 

simple digital technologies in these two ways 

of work. The important here is to be able 

to visualize the contributions we make as 

individuals in a group effort. In this simple 

architecture we can resolve comparatively 

easily the problem of “scale”. This allows us 

to enter in a new era of crowdsourcing which 

is vital when many “brains” should work on 

one critical solution, especially in the fields 

of biomedicine and pharmaceuticals, and 

when significant public money is involved 

and the “patenting” is neutralized. EU 

should develop this capacity with secure 

procedures and in collaboration with other 

non-EU governments. 

The fourth reflection is about the optimal 

use of budget for R&D and the acceleration 

of tech transfer, especially in moments of 

emergency. EU traditionally has very weak 

tech transfer capacity. It funds, rightfully, 

long-run research projects that the market 

fails to support, but the patents it produces 

are few and the number of marketable 

products is disappointing. At the same time, 

many of the technological projects funded 

by the EU budget lack clear KPIs making the 

speed of technological adoption very slow. 

The current pandemic forces us to think 

systematically about these issues. 

It is in the center of the work of STOA 

in the European Parliament to speed up all 

the four areas of concern that I stressed, 

to define priorities, procedures and 

evaluation standards. We need to prepare 

Eva Kaili 

Greek member of the 


with the S&D Group - 

Chair for Science and 

Technology, STOA - 

Chair EU40 - Member 

of OECD Blockchain 

Advisory Board, WEF 

EU Digital Leaders & 

Digital Currency Gov 

Consortium, IEEE 

Center of Extended 

Intelligence Advisory 

Board 

the ground for standards that are based on 

our European values and could be adopted 

globally. 

To conclude, the COVID19 emergency 

has changed the priorities of the EU 

budget in the era of “new normality”, and 

the digital transformation is higher on the 

agenda, including a new paradigm of R&D 

in the fields of biotechnology and health 

management. Other priorities like the so 

called, “Green Deal” should be integral in 

a new paradigm of sustainable economy, 

rather than a distinct endeavor. Similarly, 

exponential technologies like AI, blockchain, 

big data, cyber-security, hyper-performance 

computing or edge computing, should be 

aggressively promoted not in isolation but 

in convergence with each other. 

I am convinced that Technology is a 

significant part of any solution related to the 

health and quality of life of the Europeans, 

the agility and resilience of their jobs, the 

prospect of their welfare and wealth in the 

post-crisis period, the coherence of our 

society and our role in the global economy 

in the post-crisis years. We only need to act 

together and be smart on it. 

37


SHUTTERSTOCK 

Looking for the White Knight 

By Daniel Kaddik 

A 

crisis can be a great eye-opener 

showing how much of what we 

believe is true. In recent memory, 

the EU has seen four major disruptions 

- the financial crisis, the migration crisis, 

Brexit, and now the Coronavirus. Those 

instances have shown severe flaws in 

the EU’s institutional architecture, in the 

resilience of the member states, and in our 

ability to find joint solutions to challenges. 

Conventional wisdom suggests that these 

chains of events are akin to black swans – 

the culmination and result of which could 

not have been foreseen. Is this true or 

were those accidents waiting to happen? 

What kind of leadership do we need now, 

when things are beginning to go awry? 

Especially in times of crisis, the role 

of leaders is to give a sense of direction, 

take decisive action, and not merely react 

to unfolding events. This is ever more 

important in a world where information 

flows faster than ever before, where 

people strive to make sense not only of 

their own lives but of global questions. 

Hence, the remedy is the opposite of the 

usual trend in many European countries, 

where it appears that politicians are 

reacting to headlines or even tweets. 

Instead of setting the agenda, they are 

driven by it, pushed by a perceived wave of 

opinions. But unlike elections, governing 

should not be a popularity contest. 

While an increase in information 

has bred uncertainty among citizens, 

many elementary fears have re-emerged 



Daniel Kaddik 

Executive Director of 

the European Liberal 

Forum 


during the Corona crisis. After all, it is a 

question of life or death at worst, and a 

question of economic survival at best. 

Some national governments are exploiting 

this to strengthen their position in an 

unprecedented way and at the expense of 

democracy. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor 

Orbán has been given quasi-authoritarian 

powers by the parliament for an unlimited 

time, and the Polish ruling party is pushing 

through presidential elections in May, 

while the ban of electoral rallies hinders 

opposition candidates. 

In stock markets, the bidder in a hostile 

takeover is called a “black knight”, an 

analogy that might be fitting here in the 

context of democracies. Especially when 

democratic institutions are marginalised out 

of “necessity” and for the sake of “efficiency”. 

The question remains as to who makes the 

counteroffer as the “white knight” and what 

they can do to avoid the trap of crisis and 

the temptation of opportunity. 

Everywhere across Europe, people 

have largely supported and followed the 

measures introduced by the executives. 

They seem to be willing to cede their civil 

liberties in lockdowns that have been widely 

imposed. One can witness rising approval 

ratings for governments regardless of their 

track record in the fight against the virus 

and regardless of whether they can be 

classified as “populist” or not. The positive 

side effect of this is that there is currently 

less support for populists that are in 

opposition. However, this phenomenon 

should not be taken for granted and can 

only be sustained if governments can limit 

the economic and societal damage caused 

by the virus. Otherwise, we will see populist 

forces on the left and right on steroids at a 

time when hardships for citizens become 

overburdening. 

For the EU, the current crisis is doubtlessly 

existential. Corona has struck the core of the 

EU’s economic project, the Single Market, 

like an earthquake. National governments 

responded by taking unilateral measures. 

Within a few weeks, border controls were 

reinstated across the Schengen area, the 

free movement of persons was restricted, 

and supply chains crumbled. 

Despite the attack on the de facto core 

of European integration, European leaders 

have not been able to identify a way out of 

the crisis yet. The visionary approach needed 

for the EU to stick together must connect 

the different strands of individual measures 

to a bigger whole. This is especially important, 

as there is a considerable risk that 

diverse national reactions to the crisis will 

increase divergence in the Euro area. In the 

past, national decisions were often taken 

without considering the cross-border impact. 

The same is already happening in this 

crisis, which poses the tremendous risk that 

countries which are already strong could assume 

a dominating position after the crisis. 

At the same time, it is useless to lament a 

lack of support for measures that would turn 

the EU upside down. Nobody can expect 

from the frugal governments of Northern 

Europe to throw their principles overboard 

from one day to another. Leadership 

means exploiting what is possible, trying to 

do the impossible, but not attempting the 

illusionary. 

The EU now needs a clear roadmap 

for reconstruction. It is of little importance 

whether it is called the Marshall Plan or the 

Michel Plan. But it is vital to act decisively 

and quickly. The roadmap also needs builtin 

flexibility; it must avoid centralisation and 

respect the principle of subsidiarity. Surely 

the unemployment reinsurance SURE can 

have a sunset clause in five years, giving 

member states the chance to opt-out. 

Beyond that, the EU’s remedy cannot be just 

patching up holes – it is time to finally decide 

what the EU should look like in the future. 

It is hard to lead if you do not know where 

you are going. Perhaps the Conference on 

the Future of Europe could be a first – albeit 

rather late – step in this direction, if it does 

not end up as a mere communication tool. 

Although the reputation of the EU and 

of intra-European cooperation has already 

been damaged considerably in Italy and 

Spain, it is not too late. Is there a white knight 

in sight? The fragmented polycentricity of 

power between the European Commission, 

the European Council and the Franco- 

German tandem makes it seem unlikely 

that a single white knight will be found. 

But European cooperation could itself still 

be the white knight for all member states, 

especially those most hit by the Coronavirus 

pandemic. 

39


SHUTTERSTOCK 

China’s Hostage Diplomacy 

By Anna Fotyga 

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, 

policy makers wonder what sort 

of world we shall inherit once 

it’s over. There is no doubt we should 

change our approach when dealing with 

the Peoples Republic of China. We have 

to focus in particular on means of tackling 

their use of diplomatic extortion via so 

called ‘hostage diplomacy’. 

The actions of the Chinese 

Communist Party, in the lead up to this 

global epidemic, are well documented: 

from the lies about the official figures, 

camouflaging evidences and silencing 

of whistle-blowers, to the fact that they 

simply didn’t act swiftly enough to halt the 

spread around the rest of the world. Such 

attitude is well known to me, a person 

from Central Europe, and reminds me 

the way the Soviet communists tried 

to cover up the Chernobyl disaster. 

Such mismanagement is inescapable 

in a Communist system, staffed by ‘Yes 

Men’ who’s first instinct is to lie and deny 

any problems as they have neither the 

courage nor competency to move quickly 

in tackling disasters. 

Over-dependence on the PRC has 

proven to be a strategic blunder on the 

part of Western countries. My very first 

initiative at the beginning of this term as 

a Member of the European Parliament 

was to draw attention of the European 

Commission to the problem. In my 

intervention I pointed out that more 

than 60% of the active ingredients in 



Anna Fotyga 

Polish member of the 


with the ECR Group 


medicines are produced outside the EU, 

mainly in China, and these critical supplies 

are increasingly exposed to risk. Recent 

events have proved that critical sectors of 

our economies can no longer be dependent 

on the red Chinese dragon. It is clear that an 

economic realignment is needed – including 

looking for friendlier and more reliable 

trading partners. 

The Western World is starting to realise 

that for too long they have given the 

Peoples Republic of China the benefit of the 

doubt, and the Communists have abused it. 

Perhaps the worst case of this is the issue of 

the status of the Republic of China (Taiwan). 

Moreover, the last year has shown that Beijing’s 

bullying tactics against its neighbours 

are now being deployed worldwide, also 

against the West, which has continued to 

approach the issue with a great deal of ambiguity. 

Whilst formally recognising the ‘One 

China Policy’, many Western countries still 

maintain unofficial offices of representation 

in Taipei. Likewise, the Taiwanese government 

maintains offices in most countries 

around the world. These quasi-diplomatic 

links have laid out a path for more formal 

arrangements in the future. 

Although full recognition of Taiwanese 

independence for many practical reasons 

is a long way off, economic cooperation 

could easily be enhanced. Taiwan not only 

shares our democratic values, but also has 

a stable industrial base from which to build 

on. Enhancing trade relations between the 

West and Taiwan would serve to reduce 

dependence on Communist China and 

uphold economic links with this part of 

the world. Equally, there are some areas 

in which official recognition of Taiwan 

could be beneficial to both parties, such as 

giving the island its own seat on the World 

Health Organisation. This could perhaps 

be a term for the United States to begin 

refunding the WHO, after President Trump 

pulled American financial support from the 

institution last week. 

A cross-party letter recently circulated 

around the European Parliament in 

Brussels has gained support of more than 

100 Members spanning across Europe. It 

calls for recognition of Taiwan by the WHO, 

a move that is particularly important in 

these challenging times. 

On a larger scale, China has applied the 

same diplomatic extortion to international 

politics with Taiwan. Any attempt to 

recognise Taiwan is met with economic 

threats. Many smaller countries in Latin 

America and the Pacific Islands have 

faced tough sanctions for their continued 

recognition of Taiwan. Last year both Kiribati 

and the Solomon Islands severed ties 

with Taiwan amidst mounting diplomatic 

pressure from China. 

The same has already started to 

happen in Africa. As it stands, Eswatini is 

the only country in Africa that continues 

to recognise Taiwan’s independence. As a 

result they have found themselves under 

increased pressure – including economic 

threats. Other countries in Africa have 

accepted China’s demands and as a result, 

have been rewarded in kind. Whilst China 

in the beginning used soft diplomacy – 

such as seemingly reasonable loans for 

infrastructure projects – many states have 

found themselves in debt and without 

the promised infrastructure. This strategy 

used by China to lure underdeveloped 

African countries has even its own name: 

“debt-trap diplomacy”. I am convinced 

that Africa, like Taiwan, could benefit from 

a Western boycott of China. With supply 

chains adjusting to move manufacturing 

jobs from mainland China to friendlier 

countries in West Africa or South East Asia. 

China isn’t only holding the Island of 

Taiwan hostage. For more than a year the 

PRC holds in prison actual hostages from 

Canada, on charges of endangering state 

security. This is widely seen as an attempt 

to use ‘hostage diplomacy’ to force the 

release of a Chinese telecommunications 

executive who was arrested in Canada. 

Moreover, Beijing has inflicted an economic 

punishment on Canadians, putting in a 

hopeless situation companies which have 

become solely dependent on Chinese 

market or the PRC’s industrial base. 

Economic and geopolitical strategies 

should be open for review due to our 

dependency on China. Europe must keep 

alternative options on the table. We cannot 

allow freedom of our citizens, security of 

our societies, prosperity of our companies 

and sovereign policies of our states become 

China’s hostages. 

41


Quarantine 

and/or 

Geopolitical 

Checkmate? 

By Lídia Pereira 

The COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over 

and the magnitude of the economic 

crisis resulting from the confinement 

measures that States had to adopt is still 

unknown. However, the economic forecasts that 

have been released and the political speeches 

from different political leaders, allow us to 

anticipate a post-crisis period with profound 

repercussions on the international order. The 

current crisis revealed the dangers of excessive 

dependence on foreign distribution chains, 

particularly, in strategic areas. For instance, 

medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) are strategic 

products, but their production is mostly based in China. 

China has become the factory of the world while Europe 

has become a museum of world history. Fortunately, the 

European Commission has already started discussing about 

the reindustrialization of Europe, as well as the importance of 

protecting strategic industries from being acquired by foreign 

countries. 

In the past few weeks, China has emerged as a “global hero” 

around their response to the Covid19 pandemic. It’s clear that 

beneath this, there is significant suspicion about the motivations 

underpinning Beijing’s international solidarity, accelerating the 

need for Western countries to reckon with their relationship with 

China and examine what role China will play in a much-altered 

post-COVID19 world order. 

Peace and conflict studies have shown that success in 

post-conflict relations is more likely when parties feel equally 

victimised. There cannot be “winners” and “losers”. In the current 

scenario, the perception being nurtured by China as the best 

example of leadership in managing this crisis, with a low mortality 

rate, contrasts greatly with the difficulties and disproportionate 

number of deaths in Europe and the USA. China might want to 

wash its image, due to their negligent attempts to control the 

epidemic domestically without informing the world. And in 

doing so, they are assuming the role of a “winner”, anticipating a 

favourable post-crisis geopolitical re-order. 

It is clear that the world will emerge from the pandemic into 

a much-altered global economic order too. Western countries 

will face a prolonged recession. Europe, in particular, will have 

to reassess its priorities in terms of public investment, economic 

recovery, social protection and their health systems. And yet, 

while the GDP of the EU and US will fall, China’s economy is 

projected to continue growing at roughly 1%. The dramatic spike 

in unemployment levels on both sides of the Atlantic also does 

not appear to have been replicated in China, who have emerged 

from the crisis with only a 1% increase in their figures. 

Globalization will not come to an end, but it will rise again 

at the expense of new dynamics, influences and leaderships. 

We must be aware that the transition phase represents a great 

geopolitical challenge. Member States will have to strengthen 

their health systems and will need to increase their budgets in 

social areas. Education, scientific research, or defense may end up 

being overlooked. This might bring serious repercussions, mainly 

in the ability to compete technologically and in the commitments 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

Lídia Pereira 

Portuguese member 


Parliament with the 

EPP Group – President 

of the Youth of the 

European People’s 

Party 


made, for example, between NATO member 

countries. 

Overall, the circumstances sound very 

alarming. The solidarity and support provided 

by China to countries most affected by 

coronavirus will impact how the Chinese 

leadership is perceived internationally. Whether 

it’s the shipment of large quantities of PPE or the 

deployment of medical professionals overseas, 

the country’s COVID altruism is inherently linked 

to the Beijing government’s long-term strategic 

objectives. China, under the tight control of its 

Communist Party, is a state with authoritarian 

international aspirations. When this pandemic 

ends, the failure of the US to lead the 

international fight against COVID19 will reinforce 

China’s position as the international reference 

point, the global power which delivered at this 

time of need, with little attention paid to its 

culpability for the dissemination of the disease. 

America’s retreat has created a vacuum which 

China intends to fill. 

In that respect, China has much to gain 

through these grand gestures of solidarity. This 

is why Europeans must distinguish between what 

is genuine “solidarity” and what is the cynical 

opportunism of an authoritarian regime seeking 

to ameliorate its image and expand its sphere 

of influence. About half a year ago, Ursula von 

der Leyen was criticized for trying to designate 

a Commissioner “to protect the European way 

of life”. That portfolio changed its name to 

“Promoting the European Way of Life”. However, 

facing the global influence of an authoritarian 

regime, protecting our principles and values has 

never been more important. 

The US and Europe have survived the 

greatest wars and crises of modern times 

by working together. To avoid unfavourable 

geopolitical imbalances, this time cannot be any 

different. Ultimately, the future when the world 

will breathe again without masks will judge the 

success and effectiveness of democracies over 

authoritarian regimes. 

43


SHUTTERSTOCK 

The China Hunt 

By Witold Jan Waszczykowski 

The ongoing debate on the 

coronavirus crisis is bound to 

include an investigation into the 

causes of the pandemic and all factors 

that played a part in its spread. However, 

are we not driving ourselves into a 

witch-hunt? After all, Europe is now full 

of phrases about the spirit of solidarity 

in the fight against the pandemic and 

the upcoming economic crisis. 

Theories about the origin of the 

virus have been multiplying and, so 

far, they include bats, pangolins and 

shady labs in Wuhan. They all lead to 

China. Certain politicians went as far as 

using the term “the Chinese virus.” On a 

side note, the French helped build the 

Wuhan laboratories. 

It is justified to be suspicious 

of Beijing. China has been facing 

widespread accusations of downplaying 

the scale of the outbreak and 

hiding its origins. Reports of Chinese 

misinformation have featured on 

numerous media platforms. Beijing 

has even been blamed for taking 

advantage of the pandemic in order to 

push its geopolitical agenda by linking 

it to Chinese aid. China is not without 

fault when it comes to COVID-19. On 

the international stage, the Chinese are 

no angels either. After all, the Middle 

Kingdom is the world’s second largest 



Witold Jan 

Waszczykowski 

Polish member of the 




economy and as such, it aggressively 

pursues its national interest. China’s 

recent history is also full of dark pages. 

These include the brutal crushing of the 

Tiananmen protests in 1989, ongoing 

suppression of Hong Kong’s democratic 

aspirations and processes and open 

hostility towards Taiwan. 

On the flipside, is the Western World 

without blame? In recent weeks, a 

number of politicians agreed we were 

not prepared for the cataclysm. In recent 

days, Ursula von der Leyen and Josep 

Borrell apologized for our mistakes in 

the European Parliament’s Hemicycle. We 

have all been beating ourselves up about 

the lack of means to fight the pandemic 

and shortages in PPE and basic medicines. 

Years ago, we decided to deindustrialize 

and move our production to China. Part 

of it was considered dirty, the other part 

- uneconomical. The price we are paying 

now is the consequence of our own 

choices. 

Even though China’s actions have 

met justified criticism, are we not taking 

it too far, especially in comparison to our 

behaviour towards Russia? The very same 

Russia that resorted to military means in 

order to prevent the collapse of the USSR. 

The very same Russia that violently dealt 

with Chechnya, invaded Georgia and 

Ukraine. Yet, we still tend to strive for best 

possible relations with Moscow, falling just 

slightly short of downright appeasement. 

We open up our economies to Russia. 

The Kremlin is the reason our defence 

systems are excessively transparent. All 

this in hope of shaping the Russian Bear 

into something similar to our Western 

model. So far, our track record has been 

mediocre in this regard. In consequence, 

lack of determination and choosing shortterm 

wins over strategic interests are to 

blame. 

Therefore, are we not creating an 

artificial and distant rival instead of 

finding a way to deal with the immediate 

one? Are we not burying our heads in 

the sand, pretending that the Russian 

problem is not there and replacing it with 

the imagined Chinese threat? 

China is a remarkable economy and a 

nuclear power. Beijing makes its presence 

Today, we should 

embrace the fact that 

Beijing has not been 

trying to copy-paste 

Moscow’s actions 

towards the West. 

In consequence, 

perhaps we should 

consider rewarding 

it with a milder 

approach than our 

treatment of the 

USSR? 

known in distant corners of the world 

by investing in harbours, airports or 

communication networks. In other words, 

trading outposts. We have reasons to 

believe that these outposts may be used 

to exert political influence, perhaps even 

military power. 

The USSR was an influential 

superpower too. It used far more 

aggressive and far bloodier methods to 

secure its interests, which were motivated 

ideologically by Communism. However, 

the West did not go to war with Moscow. 

The Free World employed a wide range 

of non-military means and let the Evil 

Empire implode. As mentioned above, 

our attempts to pacify Russia’s aggressive 

tendencies have fallen short of our 

expectations. We did, however, manage 

to put a dent in Moscow’s ambitions. 

Today, we should embrace the fact that 

Beijing has not been trying to copy-paste 

Moscow’s actions towards the West. In 

consequence, perhaps we should consider 

rewarding it with a milder approach than 

our treatment of the USSR? 

45


The West Must Stand 

Confident and United 

Against the Chinese 

Threat 

By Mattias Karlsson 

With great power comes great 

responsibility. No government on 

Earth have established a stronger and 

more totalitarian control over its society than the 

Chinese Communist Party. No other government 

holds its citizens in a tighter grip. With totalitarian 

and draconian powers, the Chinese Communist 

Party must be held responsible for its handling of 

the COVID-19 virus and the damage it has done 

to the world. 

Mahatma Ghandi once said that ”The 

greatness of a nation and its moral progress can 

be judged by the way its animals are treated”. If 

Ghandi was right then the greatness of communist 

China is far less than its economic and military 

power suggests. 

In 2002 the Chinese SARS-virus spread fear 

around the world and killed people in 37 different 



Mattias 

Karlsson 

Member of the 

Swedish Parliament - 

Former Leader of the 

Sweden Democrats 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

countries. The SARS-virus most likely 

originated in the Chinese wet-markets 

where live animals are being kept, sold and 

butchered in the most horrific, inhumane 

ways. 

Yet, by all accounts, the Chinese 

Communist Party did not take sufficient 

action to stop these practices. 

In 2007, microbiologists in Hong Kong 

alarmingly reported that the way the 

Chinese handled wild animals in their wet 

markets is “a ticking time-bomb”. 

Still, the Chinese Communist Party did 

not listen and refused to take action. 

When the COVID-19 virus broke out 

in Wuhan the CCP’s initial reaction was to 

ignore it as if nothing had happened. The 

second reaction was to silence anyone 

who choose not to. Several of the initial 

whistleblowers were persecuted by the 

CCP and have since disappeared. 

A study from the University of 

Southampton recently showed that if 

Chinese authorities had reacted only three 

weeks earlier, transmission of COVID-19 

could have been reduced by 95 per 

percent. 

The responsibility for the deaths 

and the suffering that we currently are 

experiencing in the West hence falls 

heavily on the Chinese Communist Party. 

The Corona virus, however, is only the 

latest in a long line of human suffering 

that the totalitarian CCP has caused since 

it grabbed power in 1949. 

We are now the ones to make a choice. 

How the West manages to respond to 

the grab for world domination from this 

bloodstained totalitarian regime will 

determine the future for our children 

and grandchildren as well as the fate 

of our civilization built on freedom and 

democracy. We also cannot allow the leftwing 

forces in our own countries to divide 

and weaken our societys from within. 

Our civilization and the values for which 

it stands are at stake. In these testing 

times, if we are to stand a chance, we must 

rediscover and strengthen the roots of our 

civilization, our self-confidence, and our 

old alliances. 


47


The Black Swan of 2020 

By Dr Erol User 

The coronavirus pandemic is the black swan of 2020, 

leading financial markets into a level of decline not 

seen since the recession of 1987. 

According to the United Nations, COVID-19 has cost 

the global economy $50 billion just in exports in February 

alone. A recent Bloomberg estimate sees the cumulative 

damage to the entire global economy coming in at around 

$2.7 trillion. 

We’ve experienced one of the most severe stock market 

crashes in modern times. The current sell-of has been one 

of the sharpest in since the 1929 stock market crash. 

GOODS 

In April, Chinese manufacturing activity dropped to alltime 

lows. This is certain to affect the nations that China’s 

imports intermediate goods - those that are used in the 

production of other finished products and can range from 

hard and soft commodities such as metals and soy beans, 

through to plastics used in manufacturing and active 

pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in the production of 

drugs, all the way to finished car engines and LED screens 

– significantly dropped. 

According to the World Bank, China imports the largest 

amount of its intermediate goods from South Korea, Japan, 

the United States, and “other” Asian states. Additionally, 

it exports the biggest volume of intermediate goods to 

the United States, Vietnam, South Korea, and India. The 

coronavirus is already affecting these deeply intertwined 

trade relationships and is almost certain to have a farreaching 

influence on entire supply chains and final 

markets for a wide variety of finished goods. 

We’re also seeing the first signs of nations hunkering 

down to protect their own best interests. India’s restriction 

of pharmaceutical exports is a perfect example of this. 

CRUDE OIL 

It was widely expected that coronavirus would cause 

a big shock to global oil markets and now we’ve seen 

historic drops in both the stock and energy markets, all 

in just a couple of weeks. 

It will potentially have immense consequences that hurt 

many areas of the global petroleum industry, but there are 

also likely to be far broader geopolitical effects. For one, 

this could be the event that breaks the US shale oil industry. 

It’s widely known that American shale firms are highly overleveraged 

and unable to maintain profitability at oil prices 

below $40 per barrel. We could be looking at the end of this 

recent period of American energy self-sufficiency, which 

is problematic to say the least. The interconnections and 

possible implications are seemingly endless. 

S&P500 

The S&P dropped 30% in less than 3 weeks. Recently we 

have seen what looks like a pronounced correction, with 



Dr Erol User 

President and CEO 

of User Corporation. 

Dr User is also a 

multi-award winning 

entrepreneur, 

veteran businessman, 

philanthropist, 

business/financial 

coach and educator 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

its biggest weekly gain since 1974 as the 

Federal Reserve delivered another wave of 

stimulus to cushion the economic impact 

from the Covid-19 pandemic, but we could 

be witnessing the beginning of something 

worse yet. 

BITCOIN 

However, blockchain may still have a chance 

to flourish during these times of crisis. 

The recent COVID-19 outbreak is an 

event at risk of a so-called “black swan” 

tail because it is an anomalous value. it is 

necessary to recognize the ability of Bitcoin 

(BTC) to hedge the risk of the stock market, 

in fact, some economists and researchers 

refer to Bitcoin as “digital gold” and exposed 

to tail-risk only within the cryptocurrency 

markets, but it is not exposed to tail-risk 

compared to other asset markets, such as 

equity markets or gold. 

Thinking positive of blockchain to Turn 

Crisis into Opportunity! 


49


Reimagining History’s Path 

By Dimitris Valatsas 

Dimitris 

Valatsas 

Chief Economist at 

Greenmantle 

There should be no doubt: 

COVID-19 will leave all our societies 

poorer and more uncertain about 

the future—all economic policy can 

do and should do will be to mitigate 

and spread out these costs. But 

perhaps the pandemic will also 

leave us wiser about the choices we 

make as citizens and consumers. 

In Laurent Binet’s latest alternate 

history novel, Civilizations, pandemics 

are used as a device that propel the 

narrative forward. It is antibodies that 

allow the Incas to survive their first 

encounter with Western seafarers— 

and when the book’s heroes Miguel 

de Cervantes and Domenikos 

Theotokopoulos find themselves 

imprisoned in Mexico-occupied 

Bordeaux, it is the advent of “the pest” 

that allows them to escape. In history, 

both real and imagined, pandemics 

act as a Deus ex Machina: they halt all 

activity on the set and drastically move 

the plot away from its prior determined 

course. 

And so it is with COVID-19 and the 

political economy of the West. With 

the pandemic’s arrival, most of human 

activity ceased, with no regard to the 

economic costs of the suspension. 

What is astonishing from a policy 

perspective is that almost nowhere 

was this perceived or resolved as a 

trade-off: with slightly varying degrees 

of hesitation, total shutdowns were 

imposed regardless of the cultural and 

state characteristics of each country or 

jurisdiction. 

Equally unimportant has been the 

ideological orientation of the party in 

power in each state. The governments in 

Spain and the UK, for example, despite 

their radically different ideological 

composition, have deployed essentially 

the same public health measures with 

the same economic costs. And the same 

holds true of the measures currently 

being devised to help the economy: 

right- and left-wing governments alike 

are presiding over the largest expansion 

of the state in generations with equal 

degrees of urgency. Even in Washington, 

DC, decades of polarization over the 

extent to which the state should support 

its citizens have been swept aside by a 

bold bipartisan effort to socialize the 

costs of the pandemic. 

Indeed, with little ideological 

colouring, the main differentiating factor 

for governments has been competence. 

In a future religious history of the world, 

COVID-19 might well be seen as divine 

punishment for those countries that 

elected incompetent populists to high 

office. They have almost invariably been 

slower to recognize the danger faced by 

their populations—and even when they 

do, they are hesitant to follow scientific 

advice and engage in quarrels with 

their own local authorities. Contrast 

this, for example, with the post-populist 

administration of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in 

Greece, where early and decisive action 

meant Greece has one of the lowest 



fatality rates in the European Union. 

Perhaps most encouragingly, COVID-19 has brought forth 

bold political action, especially in Europe. The same Eurogroup 

that last autumn demoted a proposed Euro Area budget to a 

puny budgetary instrument worth €17BN (~0.15% of GDP) last 

month agreed to more than €500BN of common measures to 

combat the impact of the virus. The same leaders who a few 

months ago were haggling over fractions of percentage points 

of GDP in the EU budget are now telling the Commission to 

start thinking in trillions. 

Of course, all of this has come at tremendous human and 

economic cost. The most tragic impact is being felt today, 

by the families of thousands of victims. But the social and 

economic scars of the lockdowns will be with us for a long 

time: unemployment, an increase in domestic violence, 

and a heavy mental health burden will continue to impact 

us for a long time to come. Finally, the enormous fiscal and 

monetary costs to cover the necessary relief efforts will bear 

on taxpayers and savers for most of the decade. 

There should be no doubt: COVID-19 will leave all our 

societies poorer and more uncertain about the future—all 

economic policy can do and should do will be to mitigate 

and spread out these costs. But perhaps the pandemic will 

also leave us wiser about the choices we make as citizens 

and consumers. 

The expedience of populism has been shown to be a very 

expensive option indeed when exposed to a real crisis. A 

fixation on moral hazard and individual responsibility has 

proven a poor policy guide to combatting a societal challenge, 

whether in U.S. healthcare or EU fiscal policy. 

Nonetheless, the crisis has also revealed the resilience 

of Western political systems. Our democracies have been 

just as effective as authoritarian regimes in shutting down 

contagion—and done so without abandoning the civil and 

personal liberties at their core. The social contract of trust 

between citizens and government, the subject of so many 

obituaries in recent years, has proven a powerful keeper of 

the peace. 

As it does in Binet’s novel, the current pandemic has wiped 

the slate clean: it forces us to rethink our policy preferences 

anew, unburdened by path dependence. As the past few 

weeks have shown, reducing greenhouse gas emissions 

and providing an economic safety net are not as politically 

impossible as we thought. Like the great French author, the 

current crisis allows us to reimagine history’s path—perhaps 

toward a more humane and more sustainable future. 

SHUTTERSTOCK 


51


The Other Half 

By Sabina Ciofu 

Sabina Ciofu 

Head of EU and Trade 

Policy at techUK 

Writing this on my laptop in the comfort 

of my living room, my challenges in this 

bizarre age of lockdown have nothing 

to do with survival, keeping a job or feeding a 

family. You, because you are reading this – for 

which I am grateful – are fairly tech savvy, have a 

reasonable internet connection and some spare 

time. Life is definitely not ideal, but the worst parts 

for the lucky ones among us who have not been 

directly affected by this terrible disease are the 

nuisance of confinement, too much screen time 

and perhaps some mild anxiety. 

Technology has allowed some of us to carry 

on productive work, home-school and entertain 

children, connect with family and friends and get 

deliveries to our door step. It has allowed us to 

exercise, for cheap or free, and check out the latest 

videos, movies and recipes – all a few clicks away. 

The internet speed has kept up with all of us, the 

cloud infrastructure also. 

Not only that, but trends in emerging and 

transformative tech have accelerated. 3D printers 

have provided bits and pieces of personal protective 

equipment when global markets ran out of it. 

Edge computing models can be used to monitor 

traffic flows and large gatherings to accurately 

convey real-time information for authorities. And 

the advanced adoption of technology to power 

computer simulations of protein folding is helping 

scientists combat COVID-19, by providing a 3D 

molecular structure of the coronavirus. 

And looking forward, as governments are 

discussing and planning for exit strategies, it is 

increasingly acknowledged that the more digital an 

economy, the better and faster it will recover. The 

same goes for businesses. The more digitalised a 

company’s processes are, the easier it will move 

through this crisis and recover after. And the same 

goes for us. The more tech savvy you are, the less 

of the economic burn you’ll feel as we come out 

of the emergency. 

So where does that leave the other half? 

But 50% of the world population is not online. 

That is roughly 3.6 billion people. The digital divide 

– and the fact that income and home internet 

access are correlated – explains much of the 

inequality we observe in people’s ability to selfisolate. 

Poorer people are both at higher risk of 

getting the virus and likely to face the worst of the 

pandemic’s economic consequences. 

Countries around the world have to deal with a 

fine balancing act of protecting their citizens from 

the virus while also trying to limit the financial hit. 

Developing nations have an even higher mountain 

to climb. Ten African states have no ventilators 

at all. In Uganda, there are only 55 intensive care 

beds for 43 million citizens, while Bangladesh has 

just 1,100 ICU beds for a population of more than 

160 million. Transformative technology is all but 

a dream in many places. 

And if that feels a bit too far from home, in 

Europe only about a half of rural households 

have access to high-speed broadband. Remote 

working, home schooling, online consultations? 

Not for them. And even in households with 

internet access, that is not automatically enough 

for families to make best use of online offerings. 

The lack of digital skills prevents whole chunks 

of society from benefitting from the available 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

technology. Plus, children of essential workers often have to 

take extra responsibilities at home that limit their availability 

for online education. 

In the US, even if access to technology has increased 

dramatically, lower-income parents put their children in front 

of screens for nearly twice as long each day as richer parents. 

The tech sector has stepped up to the challenge. Through its 

Airband Initiative, combining new TV White Spaces technology 

with existing wireless solutions, Microsoft has demonstrated 

that lower cost solutions exist to deliver broadband quickly and 

efficiently to underserved areas. In Singapore, Visa has partnered 

with a local organisation to promote digital inclusion for senior 

citizens, who have high levels of knowledge about available apps 

but don’t actually use them. And in the UK, Lloyds Banking Group 

and the Good Things Foundation have created a funding network 

of 100 centres who will support learners to improve their digital 

and financial literacy skills. techUK has also been working with 

an Industry Coalition to support the Department for Education in 

the UK in providing vulnerable and disadvantaged young people 

with digital devices and online learning to support their remote 

education. 

Yet, it’s fair to say it will take a lot more than individual 

corporate initiatives to close that enlarging gap as we move 

into the post-COVID world. It will take governments to realise 

that “my country first” is not a sustainable policy choice in the 

long term. Turning our back to the most vulnerable countries 

and communities in a global pandemic will not make us safer, 

healthier or better off. 

It will also take civil society to put pressure where it’s needed. 

It will take the scientific community to inform on the best ways 

of levelling up. It will take journalists to investigate and reveal the 

worst impacts of this crisis. And ultimately it will take everyone, 

including those of us in lockdown bubbles of online yoga classes 

and fresh food deliveries, to recognise that we have a collective 

responsibility to help out in rebuilding our communities. 

There will be serious impacts of this crisis way beyond the 

current health emergency. Only this past week, the UN is warning 

of severe famine threatening large parts of the world population. 

Severe poverty across the globe is rising, as economies slow 

down. And the people that kept us alive and safe through this 

crisis, the frontline workers, the cashiers, the delivery drivers, 

deserve a lot more than the Twitter thank yous. You clapped 

and I clapped, but the real test will be seeking long-term change 

when we are on the other side of this. 

1 

Nber.org/papers/w26982 

2 

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-kids-age-zero-to-eight-2017 

3 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/corporate-responsibility/airband 

4 

https://www.finextra.com/pressarticle/76498/visa-forms-partnership-to-promote-digital-inclusion-for-seniors-in-singapore 


53


The Great Lockdown: A Glimpse 

of a More Sustainable Future? 

By Peter R. Styles 

Peter R. Styles 

Managing Director, 

Stratos European 

Policy Limited - 

Principal Consultant, 

Stratos Energy 

Consulting - Executive 

Vice Chair, European 

Federation of Energy 

Traders 

We all feel (or have felt) frustration at the interruption of our 

regular work routine, our chosen leisure pursuits, our social 

round, our holiday plans during the social confinement 

induced by the Covid-19 pandemic . Many employees and selfemployed 

people round the world have been denied the opportunity 

to work and earn. Some have endured harm to their physical or 

mental health. However, if we look past our personal circumstances, 

the period of lockdown and isolation does offer a good moment 

to rethink and reshape our ways of living, working, travelling and 

consuming. Some of the short term adaptations we are forced to 

make now give us a clue as to the long term, systemic changes citizens 

and governments could embrace. Such changes would contribute 

hugely to an eventually carbon neutral economy, be good for the 

environment more broadly and benefit society. 

We currently experience not only disruption 

but also interesting changes of behaviour during 

the Covid-19 induced lockdown and deepening 

economic downturn. We are replacing 

many physical business meetings and much 

business travel with teleconferences and video 

conferences. Information intensive services 

such as education, banking and government are 

largely delivered online. Even exercise classes, 

cookery instruction, concerts, plays and medical 

consultations are portrayed and conducted via 

a screen and loudspeaker or headphones. 

Which changes will stick? Which changes 

should government, including local government, 

encourage to persist? 

On the assumption some adaptations we 

have recently undertaken will endure, or at least 

that their endurance could be facilitated, we 

may now contemplate previously unimagined 

opportunities for doing things differently on 

a permanent basis. Here are two types of 

revolution which businesses, institutions and 

policymakers could evaluate, with carbon 

neutrality, environmental benefits (especially 

for air quality) and cost efficiency in mind: 

1. A new approach to space in 

office, retail and educational 

buildings 

The lockdowns imposed during the Covid-19 

outbreak have shown us that increased 

home working and home study are not only 

feasible but also convenient, less stressful 

and potentially more productive. We begin to 

witness the digital era’s equivalent of a rapid 

mass literacy programme – now in the shape of 

a giant, hands-on training programme in how 

to use IT. We should profit permanently from 

this human capital windfall – if only managers 

will appreciate its magnitude and tolerate the 

“loss of control” on their part, which they may 

perceive it to entail. 

If many of us can work for a lot of the time 

efficiently from home and order our purchases 

through home or mobile internet enabled 

devices, are all the buildings currently used for 

offices, education and shops going to be needed 

in future? 

Take the example of local government 

offices. Is there scope for municipal authorities 

sell off their buildings or their land for affordable 



housing close to city centres, divert 

the proceeds to much needed public 

works and social assistance and occupy 

a minimum of office space elsewhere 

for hot desking? In many towns empty 

floors of buildings above shops, or 

indeed shops themselves, are already 

available at discounted prices. In some 

cases the council will already own those 

premises? 

Lots of commercial office space 

too will not be required, if desk jobs 

continue to be performed from home, 

or on a rotational, part time attendance 

basis. This office space, much of it 

located close to the urban centres and 

to public transport, could then be turned 

into flats or redeveloped for housing. 

Such dwellings could substitute for flats 

and small houses, often pushed out to 

greenfield sites with no sustainable 

infrastructure in the countryside. The 

reduced carbon footprint of the urban 

dwellers would be an added benefit, 

on top of the avoided environmental 

impact of greenfield construction. 

In the city where I live, Canterbury 

in England, we may also wonder why 

we need such a huge footprint of 

educational buildings, even if tens of 

thousands of undergraduates and 

schoolchildren study here, coming from 

all over the district, indeed many from 

all over the world. Now that we know 

pupils and students could for much of 

the academic year work online from 

home or shared space (once social 

distancing is relaxed) there is enormous 

scope to utilise these buildings more 

productively or to convert them. Do 

we need big lecture theatres anymore? 

Could students in different faculties or 

different institutions share teaching 

space and libraries? Or rotate in their 

physical attendance between weeks, 

seasons or even periods of the day? 

2. Reducing travel and 

staggering and varying 

travel times 

We are seeing during lockdown such 

profound changes in patterns of 

human activity socially, economically 

and workwise, that I think we must 

also reflect on the implications for 

travel needs, and even the justification 

for travel (especially at set times) in the 

future. 

One way in which remote working 

may boost productivity is by making 

it cheaper for businesses to scale up 

geographically, and in reducing the 

wasted time and the stress involved in 

employees travelling to a communal 

place of work. Most deskbound workers 

have been empowered during this crisis 

to forget the congestion they normally 

encounter in pursuit of their daily duties. 

Similarly, students and schoolchildren 

and their parents have not been obliged 

over this period to compete with other 

commuters for road space or a seat on 

the train or bus. 

Even food shopping is of necessity 

more evenly spaced over the day, in 

keeping with the social distancing 

enforced in supermarkets, farm shops 

and corner shops alike. Meanwhile 

shopping for most other items has 

been driven online, and thus requires 

only journeys to multiple residential 

destinations by the same delivery 

vehicle, rather than multiple trips 

to shops by individual drivers and 

passengers. 

So, given a free choice, why would 

citizens, whether as managers, 

employees, freelancers, teachers, 

students or shoppers ever again 

wish to subject themselves to the 

deprivations of a morning, afternoon 

or evening “rush hour”? Might we 

conclude that a core component of a 

future sustainable transport system, 

in addition to modal shift, must be a 

reduction in the incidence of journeys, 

especially journeys by car at times of 

historic congestion? If we can all do 

our work and procure the supplies we 

need without filling town centre or out 

of town car parks, think of the further 

potential for releasing land for housing 

within existing conurbations and near 

to existing public transport facilities. 

Finally, under the sustainable 

transport heading, we might reflect on 

implications of a revolution in the place 

and timing of our work and studies on 

our leisure and holiday travel habits. 

Would most visits to friends, family 

members and tourist attractions still 

need to be restricted to weekends? 

Must family seaside and overseas 

holidays be crammed into traditional 

school holidays? If all the trips involved 

were more evenly spaced out across 

the day, across the week and across 

seasons, while private travel for work 

and shopping would have diminished, 

does our society really need to plan 

for incessant extension and widening 

of motorways and additions of airport 

capacity? 

Thus, could we not, in place of 

enhanced public spending on grand 

physical transport projects and 

expansion of road networks, invest 

more in IT training and building faster, 

higher capacity broadband networks? 

Beyond repurposing our building 

stock, reducing the need for new 

construction and rethinking our 

travel patterns, further opportunities 

for reducing carbon footprints, 

environmental improvement and 

societal reform arise from learnings 

during the lockdown period. Briefly, 

these include: 

• A reduction in our overall 

consumption of goods, especially cars, 

clothes and household items 

• Fostering local and shorter supply 

chains 

• Zero waste business and 

household models – for example 

by incentivising re-use and repair of 

products, introducing “pay to get rid of” 

mechanisms and mandating recycling 

of separable commodities 

• Offsetting the lower wholesale 

price of petroleum, natural gas and 

petroleum derivatives by raising carbon 

taxes on retail hydrocarbon products 

and/or expansion of carbon emissions 

trading systems into new sectors of the 

economy. 


All views expressed in this article are personal to the author and are not to be attributed to 

any of the clients he advises nor to any association he represents. 

55


What are the Geo-Economic 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

Impacts of the Coronavirus Crisis? 

Most people have heard of 

the Black Death, a pandemic 

that killed a third of Europe’s 

population in the 14th century, and 

entire treatises have been written 

about its profound impact on the 

economy and society. Yet before 2020, 

most had not heard of the Spanish Flu 

pandemic of 1918-1920—which killed 

almost as many as the Black Death—as 

its lasting effect on the world was much 

less significant. 

One hundred years from now, will 

the coronavirus be a largely forgotten 

episode like the Spanish Flu, or will it— 

like the Black Death—be remembered 

by all as a pivotal event in human 

history? 

We remain at an early stage in 

the pandemic, making it difficult to 

predict the long-term consequences 

with any degree of confidence; and 

analysis is made harder by the hysteria 

propagated by traditional and social 

forms of media. Yet there remain clues 

that suggest that important long-term 

changes may well take root in the virus’ 

wake. 

First is the deglobalization trend 

that started in earnest following the 

global financial crisis of 2008. Many 

in advanced countries, especially 

those from low-income groups, have 

come to perceive global economic 

integration—known as globalization— 

as a threat to their livelihoods, and to 



Omar 

Al-Ubaydli 

PhD, Researcher at 

the Bahrain Center for 

Strategic, International 

and Energy Studies 

(Derasat), Non-Resident 

Fellow at the Arab 

Gulf States Institute, 

Washington 


their sense of identity. This has created 

political pressure in favor of restrictions 

such as tariffs and migration quotas, and 

has been a key part of the platform of 

politicians such as Donald Trump and 

Boris Johnson. 

While not a cause of this deglobalization 

trend, the coronavirus is 

likely to accelerate it, as the pandemic 

has exposed some of the risks associated 

with high levels of economic integration. 

In particular, supply chains have been 

disrupted, and the livelihoods of those 

dependent upon global trade threatened. 

Consequently, even French President 

Emmanuel Macron—a staunch defender 

of globalization and multilateralism—has 

affirmed the need for France to become 

self-sufficient in the production of certain 

strategically-important goods, such as 

basic medical equipment. 

Second is a change in the structure 

of the economy, with certain industries 

contracting permanently, and others 

expanding in their place. Aviation is under 

serious threat, due to the abundance of 

potentially long-lasting travel restrictions; 

as are sectors where the business model 

requires people being in close physical 

proximity: restaurants, brick-and-mortar 

retail, and professional sport are but a 

few examples. In contrast, e-commerce, 

logistics, and digital home entertainment 

are all emergent winners, as reflected in 

the rising share price of companies such 

as Zoom, Amazon, and Netflix while 

aggregate market indices are tumbling. 

The transition is unlikely to be smooth, 

since sectors such as aviation and 

traditional retail employ millions, while 

e-commerce and digital entertainment 

are predicated on much lower levels of 

human inputs. There is a genuine fear 

of a protracted period of structural 

unemployment as the economy adjusts, 

bringing with it social and political 

instability, as well as hardship for millions 

of job seekers. Fearful governments may 

well double down on their deglobalization 

policies in response to the pressure, 

exacerbating the worldwide deterioration 

in international relations and respect for 

international law. 

Finally, the fiscal stimulus packages 

that have been launched to counter the 

coronavirus’s economic damage are not 

cheap, and they come at a time when 

many advanced economies have debt to 

GDP levels that exceed 100%, figures that 

are more commonly seen by countries 

in a state of war. These debt levels will 

rise several notches thanks to the outlays, 

accentuating the slowdown in economic 

growth among advanced economies that 

started in the 1970s, as investors start 

to wonder how the money will ever be 

repaid. 

None of the solutions are palatable: 

higher taxes, inflation, and default each 

come with their own selection of ills; 

but they all share in common the likely 

reinforcement of isolationist tendencies, 

as populations close rank and start to 

blame foreigners for their problems. The 

alarming rise of populist leaders across 

all parts of the European Union confirms 

that politicians are only too happy to 

indulge such xenophobic tendencies, and 

in fact, many are delighted to lead from 

the front. 

By the time 2030 comes along, the 

supposed end date of the implementation 

period of the sustainable development 

goals (SDGs), global geo-politics could 

be highly strained. In that case, the 

coronavirus must take its share in the 

blame, as it has given countries that 

have grown distrustful of each other an 

additional excuse to close doors rather 

than open them. 

Something coincidentally similar 

happened following the Spanish Flu, 

as the interwar era witnessed rising 

protectionism and beggar-thy-neighbor 

trade policies. Tragically, the conclusion 

was the second world war, and 80 

million deaths, but in its wake came one 

of the golden eras of global prosperity, 

with living standards rising, inequality 

decreasing, and peace reigning, as 

humans saw the folly of their ways. Let us 

hope that the middle of the 21st century 

brings another golden era, without the 

need for the death and destruction of a 

world war to remind us all; or, as Mahatma 

Gandhi once quipped: “Whenever you are 

confronted with an opponent. Conquer 

him with love.” 

57


Fixing the Eurozone for the Next 50 Years 

By Juha-Pekka Nurvala 

Juha-Pekka 

Nurvala 

Former Senior Political 

Advisor for Economic 

and Social Policy, 

European People’s 

Party - Political 

Economist, London 

School of Economics 

Covid-19 has exposed the rational 

dysfunction at the heart of 

European decision making. It is 

perfectly rational for Finance Ministers 

such as Hoekstra (EPP - NL) and Kulmuni 

(RE - FI) to resist measures which are 

economically sound yet counter-intuitive 

politically. For them, a recovery fund 

and common crisis measures comes 

with immediate political cost and only 

long-term economic benefits for their 

countries. 

A European Recovery Fund is an 

economically sound proposition; it is 

however clear that we won’t solve this 

crisis by relying on issuing more debt as 

most Euro countries have already high 

debt to GDP ratios. If countries are left 

to deal with the Covid crisis on their 

own, we can expect debt to GDP ratios 

to increase in line with the previous crisis, 

if not considerably more. 

The strawman argument of 

mutualising existing debt is neither on 

the table, nor helpful or desired as a 

policy in general. We must understand 

that this isn’t a “normal” crisis. 

Like generals fighting the previous 

war, we have politicians arguing 

mistakenly about the previous crisis. 

They are acting individually in a rational 

way, but unfortunately, collectively 

undermining our economy. 

This moment calls for political leaders 

who are strong and committed enough 

to state: “I do not care only about the 

wellbeing of my national citizens. I care 

about the wellbeing of all Europeans.” 

Unfortunately, it seems that we are 

not mature enough to understand our 

interests geopolitically. Yet once again, 

many countries fall back to narrowly 

professing their own excellence over 

their immediate neighbours and natural 

allies, with whom they share the most. 

Failure to act decisively, will cause 

irreparable human suffering in all EU 

countries either directly or indirectly. 

Economically weakened and bitterly 

divided Europe will succumb to being 

a wholly irrelevant global player, 

divided between those who lean more 

towards the US, Russia or China. The 

consequences of an economic collapse 

may drive more countries to follow 

Hungary in abandoning the principles 

of democracy. 

200. 

180. 

160. 

140. 

120. 

100. 

80. 

60. 

40. 

20. 

0. 

Belgium 

Czechia 

Germany 

Estonia 

Ireland 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Italy 

Debt/GDP ratio 

Cyprus 

THERE IS HOPE 

Bizarre as it might seem, however, 

now is the moment to fix the Eurozone for 

the next 50 years while simultaneously 

easing the current economic crisis. 

The previous economic crisis started 

the process of turning the ECB into the 

rightfully formidable global monetary 

actor it is. Now, it will need to take 

further steps to complete its evolution 

and assert that it will do what it takes 

to defend the Eurozone, without 

limitations. 

The eurozone design is 

fundamentally unstable. The original 

designers relied on the explicit idea 

that necessary, yet politically difficult 

decisions, would be forced through by 

the need to survive in a crisis. 

That failed in the previous crisis by 

making the crisis longer and deeper 

and likely the same will happen with the 

current crisis. In the previous crisis, the 

EU’s common actions were too little, too 

slow and too late. 

This is no time for despair but for 

creativity, within the confines of the 

Treaties. Any solution must be such that 

short-term political interests do not clash 

with long-term economics, because 

politics always trumps economics. 

Latvia 

2007 2019 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Por tug al 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

Finland 




DO THE UNTHINKABLE 

– DIRECT FINANCING BY ECB 

As previously shown, debt to GDP ratios are 

already high, and it is doubtful that EU countries 

can implement necessary economic support 

programmes while tax receipts dramatically fall, and 

expenses increase. Austerity would be the worst 

possible policy to enact in the current situation 

economically, socially, politically and geo-politically. 

It would hurt the most vulnerable people and 

reduce demand dramatically in the short-term, while 

destroying our long-term growth potential. We need 

to accept the unconventional nature of this crisis 

and the severe fiscal restrictions. Therefore, we 

must pursue policies that we would not normally 

even consider. The first measure to allow countries 

to support the people, would be for the ECB to 

reinterpret its treaty mandate, and fund Eurozone 

countries directly to avoid lost decades. It is a highly 

unusual measure but so is the situation. 

Five-year inflation futures are at around 1% and 

demand is dramatically dropping, meaning that 

there is a good amount of space before inflation 

would become an issue. 

The second step is for the ECB to effectively 

forgive a proportionally equal amount of Member 

States’ sovereign bonds that are held by the ECB. This 

could be done by extending ECB-held bonds payment 

terms until 2120 or by explicitly writing down the 

bonds, as a negative balance sheet would not be an 

issue for the ECB. The alternative would be issuing 

perpetual bonds as part of the Recovery Fund. 

This move would create breathing space 

for public investments to boost demand. The 

alternative, tax cuts, would barely impact demand 

in this current situation. 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

FIXING EUROZONE FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS 

After those two immediate steps to avoid economic 

and social calamity in Europe, we must also take 

decisions to address the long-term structural 

problems in the Eurozone. Effectively, most of the 

toxic economic and political dynamics could be 

solved through two decisions. 

Notably we must impose a risk-weighting on 

sovereign bonds and drastically cut the ability of 

banks to hold any single country’s sovereign debts 

by reforming large exposure rules. 

These two decisions would cut the link between 

banks and sovereigns and ban banks overtly holding 

the bonds of the country of their domiciliation. This 

change would mean that if a country would find 

themselves in economic trouble due to bad politics 

and economics, there is no need to bail them out 

because contagion to other countries or to the real 

economy would be drastically reduced. 

In such a circumstance, the country would go 

through debt restructuring and the EU would not 

need to impose any rules on a maximum debt to 

GDP ratio. The EU’s economic rules are criticised 

rightfully for being economically illiterate and 

politically toxic. Let’s give the responsibility for sound 

public economics back to the capitals so they cannot 

shift blame for their irresponsible ideas to anyone 

else again. By combining short-term measures with 

long-term measures, we could also remove moral 

hazard from the equation. 

We need a sound and healthy Eurozone, which 

is a source of strength instead of political division for 

our continent to be relevant. But maybe even more, 

we need to mature and expand our understanding 

of our collective interests from narrow national to 

geopolitical definitions. 

59


SHUTTERSTOCK 

Going Viral: COVID-19’s 

Harsh Lessons 

By Mitchell Belfer 

When the history of COVID-19 

is written, its authors will not 

only judge the process of 

contagion, mortality rates and economic 

paralyses; they will also account for the 

triple crises of trust, governance and 

globalism. Many assumptions have 

simply been shattered while others — 

such as suicidal dependency — have 

been confirmed. It may be in vogue to 

debate whether or not COVID-19 is eradefining; 

if it is a watershed moment that 

will change the trajectory of history, but 

this is all speculation. Instead of focusing 

on some distant, ill-defined future, it is 

important to deal with the here and now: 

what went wrong and what is being done 

to correct it? 

COVID-19 has evolved from a virus 

into a way of thinking. It entered the public 

lexicon as synonymous with quarantine, 

social distancing and lockdown. It has been 

used to empower some, disempower 

others, spread fear and confusion. It has 

poisoned debate and placed obstacles 

in front of collective solutions. In some 

places, like Iran, COVID-19 is deployed to 

galvanise governing cliques by deflecting 

responsibility—usually to archnemeses 

and foreigners. The radical right in the US 



Mitchell Belfer 

President of the 

Euro-Gulf Information 

Centre (Rome, Italy), 

Senior Lecturer in 

International Relations, 

Terrorism and Security 

at the Metropolitan 

University Prague 

(Czech Republic) and 

Editor in Chief of the 

Central European 

Journal of International 

and Security Studies. 


and Europe have been similarly energised. 

All in all, COVID-19 is a health condition that 

affects human and political bodies. 

In Europe, this is compounded by a 

crisis of trust. Trust in public information, 

trust in government strategies and trust in 

allies, are all waning. If the polls are correct, 

Italians now have a fairly unfavourable 

view of the EU and Germany because of 

the misperception that neither did enough 

to help it in its darkest hours. This is, of 

course, erroneous, but without a sustained 

corrective information blitz, it has anchored 

in the public eye. Piranhas will, of course, 

exploit the information gaps. China — in a 

bid to rehabilitate its public image — has 

gone on a charm offensive, so-called mask 

diplomacy, delivering protective gear while 

disseminating confused narratives as to 

the root causes of the pandemic. Similarly, 

questions as to the lack of preparation 

and the unwanted dependency on China 

and India for vital medicines and medical 

equipment has many asking how something 

as central as healthcare could be hollowed 

by neglect and corruption. 

There are always exceptions to the rule, 

but in this case, few and far apart—at least 

in Europe. Other regions have fared better 

in rapidly responding, keeping abreast 

of the situation, ensuring that adequate 

supplies and information reached their 

citizens. For instance, the states of the 

Arab Gulf and East Asia were much better 

prepared, and equipped, to handle a 

pandemic like COVID-19—it shows in the 

numbers. A sample from both regions 

is illustrative. As of 24 April, Singapore’s 

coronavirus deaths were 12, South Korea 

240, Japan 328 and in the Gulf, Bahrain 8, 

Saudi Arabia 127 and the UAE 64. So what 

happened? Why, for instance, has Italy lost 

nearly 26000 people, Spain 23000, France 

22000 and the UK 20000? 

The answer may be found in the 

relationship between governance 

and globalism. For all the promise of 

globalisation, the interconnectivity, 

transboundary networks, free flow of 

goods, services and ideas, most people’s 

needs are still serviced by local actors and 

flavoured with local spice. Often, where 

trust in government is high, citizens accept 

certain limitations for the collective good. 

They follow national decrees not because 

of the risk of fines or other sanctions but 

because they feel an individual sense of 

responsibility towards their state. The 

rewards are a more comprehensive 

approach for confronting the pandemic. In 

the cases of Singapore, Bahrain and Sweden 

this took the form of state sponsored 

testing, the construction of coronavirus 

only medical facilities and important 

information campaigns that explain policy 

choices and provide contingency support. 

Task Forces were formed and assumed 

responsibility for implementation. Trust is 

key so when the Task Force asks people to 

self-quarantine, to accept lockdowns and 

separation from loved ones, people follow 

instructions because they trust the motives. 

In places where trust is low, decrees are 

met with scepticism and rejection and case 

numbers are reflective. 

COVID-19 may be a global crisis, but 

it is being fought on the local level. Each 

state must do its part to ensure that others 

— proximate or not — do not suffer as a 

result of ill-informed policy choices. This 

means learning the lessons of others…and 

there are plenty of lessons to be learned. 

The German experience teaches that precrisis 

intensive care units need to include 

advanced respiratory capabilities, in the 

UAE attention was paid to early warning 

and disinfection, Singapore was about 

speed and effective quarantine, Bahrain’s 

strategy rested on information being 

quickly transformed into policy coupled 

with testing, testing, testing while Sweden 

adopted early social distancing and relied 

on its well-equipped medical services as 

it races towards ‘herd immunity.’ This is 

a snapshot. Lessons abound as long as 

people are interested in learning them. 

Hindsight, they say, is 20:20. So far, 

our 2020 has been a transcendental 

experience. Friedrich Nietzsche spoke of 

the first law of war being ‘what does not kill 

you makes you stronger.’ COVID-19 neither 

kills nor impairs the overwhelming majority 

of those who contract it and has the ability 

of strengthening Our World through the 

turning of two keys: towards enhanced 

communication and collaboration between 

states, scientists, civilians. We have the 

tools, now we need the thinking. 

61


A Green Recovery 

By Dirk Schoenmaker 

Dirk 

Schoenmaker 

Non-Resident 

Fellow at Bruegel- 

Professor of Banking 

and Finance at 

Rotterdam School 

of Management, 

Erasmus University 

Rotterdam- Research 

Fellow at the Centre 

for European Policy 

Research (CEPR). 

Government policy faces various 

challenges. Before the COVID-19 

outbreak, the European Union 

set ambitious targets to reduce carbon 

emissions. Now in the midst of the pandemic, 

the EU has temporarily lifted state-aid rules 

allowing governments to steer companies 

through the crisis and to minimise job losses 

using public money. This column suggests 

combining these policies by attaching green 

conditions to state aid. In that way, we can 

aim for a green recovery. 

Governments have multiple goals 

including economic growth, social 

inclusion and environmental preservation 

(Schoenmaker, 2020). The COVID-19 

pandemic has had a sharp negative impact on 

the economic and social fronts (deteriorating 

health, reduced income and job losses). By 

contrast, environmental performance is 

ironically improving, as carbon emissions 

and materials use decline because of 

reduced production and transport during the 

COVID-19 lockdowns. Nevertheless, the precrisis 

levels of environmental degradation are 

likely to return when the lockdowns are lifted 

and economic growth resumes. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Governments, in particular in Europe with the 

Green Deal, have been working on the energy 

and circular transition in the medium term. 

By attaching green conditions when granting 

state aid and guarantees during the COVID-19 

crisis, governments could push companies to 

accelerate the adoption of low-carbon and 

circular technologies after the crisis is over, 

and thus aim for a green recovery. 

The European Commission (2020a) has 

temporarily lifted state-aid control rules to 

ensure that the disruptions caused by the 

COVID-19 pandemic do not undermine the 

economic viability of companies. State aid 

can take the form of wage subsidies, tax and 

social contributions relief, financial support, 

and loans and guarantees via banks. By limiting 

unnecessary company failures and job 

losses, the Commission aims rightly for a swift 

economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic 

is ended. Meanwhile, several countries 

have pledged large state-aid packages to steer 

companies through the COVID-19 crisis. 

Green state aid 

Both economic and environmental viability 

are important for companies’ survival in the 

long run. Green conditions for companies 

that receive state aid will change their 

business models. It will also affect market 

outcomes. To allow the smooth functioning 

of the internal market, we suggest therefore 

that the Commission designs and monitors 

green conditions as part of their temporary 

framework for state aid measures during the 

COVID-19 pandemic (European Commission, 

2020a). 

The green conditions can be based on 

the Green Deal targets to reduce carbon 

emissions in 2030 by at least 50% and in 2050 

by 100% (ie carbon neutrality), compared 

with 1990 (European Commission, 2019). 

In addition, new targets are set for the 

design of sustainable products and circular 

production processes to reduce the use of 

virgin materials in the new Circular Economy 

Action Plan (European Commission, 2020b). 

When granting state aid, governments should 

require companies to implement these 

reduction targets for carbon emissions and 

materials usage in their business models after 

the crisis. In this way, state aid expenditures 

will not only promote the economic viability 

of companies, but also their environmental 

viability. This will accelerate the adoption of 

low-carbon and circular technologies. 

Companies are struggling for survival 

and need to receive the state aid quickly. 

To reduce the upfront administrative 

burden, governments can choose to apply 

a light green test when granting the state 

aid, combined with a tougher green test ex 

post. If a company breaches the agreed 

green conditions, the state aid would have 

to be partly or fully repaid, depending on 

the severity of the breach. We also propose 

to target key sectors that are carbon- and 

material-intensive to keep bureaucracy to a 

minimum. 

The following sectors have relatively high 

carbon and material footprints (Schoenmaker 

and Schramade, 2019): 

• Transportation: road, air and water 

transport are predominantly fossil-fuel driven; 

• Manufacturing: many manufacturers 

still employ energy- and material-intensive 

technologies; 

• Construction: many builders still use nonrecyclable 

and energy-intensive materials, 

such as cement; 



• Energy: the shift from fossil-fuels to renewable energy is 

very gradual. 

Examples 

An earlier example of state aid with green conditions was the 

support for the American car industry during the Global Financial 

Crisis. President Obama (2009) granted large sums of state aid to 

General Motors on the condition that the company accelerated 

the development of an electric car. General Motors now has 

several electric cars in its range. 

Current examples include state aid to the severely affected 

airline and travel industries. Airlines could be requested to 

speed up investment in carbon-efficient aircraft after the crisis, 

while airline manufacturers could be requested to speed up 

the development of such carbon-efficient and carbon-neutral 

aircraft. Travel companies, such as TUI, which received €1.8 billion 

in state aid from Germany, could be asked to reduce their carbon 

footprints by 50% by 2030. They can achieve such reductions by 

offering their clients more carbon-efficient air travel and greater 

usage of train travel. 

Banks can set similar green conditions when extending 

loans to their borrowers in these sectors (with or without public 

guarantee) during the COVID-19 crisis. The underlying arguments 

are the same: economically and environmentally viable 

companies carry a lower credit risk. Leading banks already have 

experience with applying green lending criteria (Schoenmaker 

and Schramade, 2019). 

From old to new sectors 

Some high-carbon companies and sectors might find it difficult 

to adapt to the new low-carbon and circular environment. 

These companies or sectors (such as the fossil-fuel sector) are 

reminiscent of the European textile and shipping sectors in the 

1990s. These sectors received state aid, which only delayed their 

disappearance. To avoid repeating these mistakes, governments 

should not provide state aid or guarantees to sectors that are 

economically or environmentally not viable in the medium term. 

In these cases, governments must use their resources to 

retrain the workers. While the kneejerk reaction of governments 

is often to help the business that is in trouble and/or to protect 

the jobs involved, it is better to focus on helping the people – 

retraining and finding new employment – and changing the 

system. The Danish labour market, for example, is known for 

its high level of flexibility when hiring, social welfare system and 

active employment policies. Together, these three components 

constitute what is known as the ‘Flexicurity Model’ (Jespersen et 

al, 2008). 

There is also a direct role for governments themselves in 

sectors that rely heavily on public investment and/or planning 

procedures, including the energy, transport and building sectors. 

Birol (2020) proposed to speed up the energy transition by 

putting clean energy jobs at the heart of stimulus packages. 

Other opportunities would be to expand public transit systems, 

including a European network of high-speed trains, and 

stimulating circular construction practices, which also require 

newly trained workers. Retraining efforts can also be (partly) 

directed to these areas. 


To speed up recovery after the Global Financial Crisis, several 

countries shortened planning procedures to advance large 

building and infrastructure projects. Accordingly, governments 

can speed up the planning and execution of renewable energy 

projects (both power generation and distribution), public 

transport projects (replacing road and air travel) and circular 

building projects. 

Governments are rightly compiling state aid packages to 

promote a swift recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic is ended. 

Our four recommendations to foster a green recovery are: 

• Apply green conditions to state aid for companies in sectors 

with high carbon and/or material footprints; 

• Apply similar green conditions to new and extended bank 

loans (with or without public guarantees) to these sectors; 

• Refuse state aid for companies and sectors that are not 

able or willing to adopt low-carbon and circular technologies, 

and retrain their workers for new employment; 

• Speed up planning procedures for renewable energy, public 

transit and circular building projects and infrastructures. 

References 

Birol, F. (2020), ‘How to make the economic recovery from 

coronavirus an environmentally sustainable one’, Prospect, 24 

March. 

European Commission (2019), ‘The European Green 

Deal’, Communication from the Commission to the European 

Parliament and the European Council, COM(2019) 640 final, 

Brussels. 

European Commission (2020a), ‘Temporary Framework 

for State aid measures to support the economy in the current 

COVID-19 outbreak’, Communication from the Commission, 

COM(2020) 1863 final, Brussels. 

European Commission (2020b), ‘A new Circular Economy 

Action Plan For a cleaner and more competitive Europe’, 

Communication from the Commission, COM(2020) 98 final, 

Brussels. 

Jespersen, S., J. Munch, and L. Skipper (2008), ‘Costs and 

benefits of Danish active labour market programmes’, Labour 

Economics, 15(5): 859-884. 

Obama, B. (2009), ‘Remarks by the President on the American 

Automotive Industry’, Transcript of Press Conference, 30 March, 

Washington DC. Available at: https://obamawhitehouse.archives. 

gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-american-automotiveindustry-33009. 

Schoenmaker, D. and W. Schramade (2019), Principles of 

Sustainable Finance, Oxford University Press, Oxford. 

Schoenmaker, D. (2020), ‘The Caring Economy: Balancing 

Profit and Impact’, Working Paper. Available at: https://papers. 

ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3567026 

Republishing and referencing 

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standpoint. Anyone is free to republish and/or quote this post 

without prior consent. Please provide a full reference, clearly 

stating Bruegel and the relevant author as the source, and include 

a prominent hyperlink to the original post. 

A version of this article has been published by bruegel.org on April 6, 2020 

Original link: https://www.bruegel.org/2020/04/a-green-recovery/ 

63


Impact 

of a Global 

Problem

IMPACT OF A GLOBAL PROBLEM 

We Need a Global Solution, 

a Global Response to Ensure a Better 

Handling of Future Breakouts 

By Adrian Delia 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

Since the turn of the century, humankind went 

through three seismic events: the attack on 

the Twin Towers in New York on September 

11, 2001; the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers that 

triggered the worst financial crisis in living memory; 

and the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. 

The attack on the Twin Towers was a politically 

motivated event with economic undertones, mainly 

on the travel and tourism sectors. The emergence of 

low-cost travel and the radical overhaul of security 

measures in airports are two factors that know their 

origin to that fateful day. The September 11 attacks 



also resulted in major wars, political upheaval 

and unrest in different parts of the globe. It 

resulted in a sustained increase in terrorist 

attacks. 

The collapse of Lehman Brothers was 

an economic event with immense social 

undertones. Six million jobs were lost in the 

United States pushing up unemployment by 

10%. The impact was so massive that it was felt 

around the world. Greece and other countries 

were pushed towards financial ruin. 

We are now living through the third major 

crisis. It is too early to determine what the 

repercussions of COVID-19 are going to be. It 

is said, however, that the world’s economy is 

going to take a huge knock with IMF pointing 

to a possible meltdown equal to the Great 

Depression. 

We are starting to see some light at the end 

of the COVID-19 tunnel. Moving forward, we 

should look at how the world reacted to the 

two previous seismic events. What lessons can 

we learn from the aftermath of the previous 

two events? 

The first important lesson is that change of 

this magnitude is irreversible. Life will never 

be the same again. We are heading towards a 

new norm. It is a new norm that will redefine 

how we live, interact and do business. Our 

businesses have to adapt to these new norms. 

In the process, there will be winners and losers. 

The second lesson is that global events 

require global solutions. A global solution is 

one that is arrived at with the involvement of 

every nation and benefits every nation. Nonglobal 

solutions, that is solutions that put the 

interest of one country or a group of countries 

interests over the interests of the rest, will 

simply create new problems and move the 

international community away from the elusive 

goal of universal peace and security. 

The third lesson is that solutions cannot 

be based simply on economic or financial 

considerations. Socio-political considerations 

are, at the very least, equally important as are 

environmental considerations. The root of 

political unrest is hunger and poverty as a result 

of environmental degradation. Political unrest 

is fuelling terrorism, war, irregular migration 

which, in turn, creates more widespread 

political unrest. If we are to break this cycle, we 

need holistic solutions. Trying to stop irregular 

migration without attacking the root cause of 

the problem will not work. 


Adrian Delia 

Leader of the 

Opposition in Malta 

& Leader of the 

Nationalist Party 

If we want to transform the current 

Coronavirus challenge into an opportunity, we 

can and should learn from these experiences 

and apply them as we go forward. From now 

on, we are going to be conditioned by the 

threat of pandemics. We therefore need a 

global solution, a global response to ensure 

a better handling of future breakouts. The 

solution should cater to various aspects of the 

problem. How can we improve our health care 

systems to deal with such emergencies? How 

can we strengthen our financial and economic 

institutions to lessen the impact on jobs and 

businesses? How can we speed up the process 

of identifying cures and vaccines? How can we 

improve life in lockdown situations, to limit 

stress on segments of the population and on 

businesses? How can we improve mankind’s 

immunity system? These are the kind of 

questions that need to be asked and tackled 

by communities, at a national level but most 

of all globally. 

There is also another essential dimension 

that is particular to this crisis. Coronavirus 

has effectively reduced pollution globally. 

The extent of this reduction has not yet been 

calculated but the severe reduction in travel 

by air, car and other modes of transport 

has resulted in a decrease in pollution and 

greenhouse gas emissions across continents 

and countries. It is impossible, certainly in the 

short run, to sustain this level of reduction in 

pollution once economic activity returns to the 

new normal. However, now that we know that it 

is possible for the world to function differently, 

can we make it our aim, our goal, to seriously 

tackle the Sword of Damocles that has been 

hanging over our collective heads for the past 

decades? I am referring, of course, to global 

warming. The change was forced on us. We 

need to make part of that change permanent. 

We need it to ensure our survival and the 

survival of other species on this planet. 

Change is never easy, more so when it 

comes in the form of a pandemic. But we can, 

indeed we must take away positives from 

a negative. This is another chapter in the 

evolution of humankind. It is a chapter that 

will continue in the years to come. Let us be 

prepared for it. Let us not fear it but use it to 

better ourselves. Let this calamity bind us and 

forge us closer together. For this is the most 

important lesson of all. Together makes us 

stronger. 

67


Uzbekistan’s Emergence 

onto the World Stage 

By Sardor Umurzakov 

Sardor 

Umurzakov 

Deputy Prime- 

Minister, Minister 

of Investments & 

Foreign Trade of 

Uzbekistan and is also 

the Co-Chair of the 

Supervisory Board of 

Europe-Uzbekistan 

Association for 

Economic Cooperation 

(EUROUZ) 

The past three years, a monumental shift 

has been rapidly happening in Uzbekistan. 

A shift that has today touched upon every 

single aspect of life in country and every single 

person in it. An economic opening under President 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, after years of economic 

stagnation, coupled with a generational shift, 

which is now shaping the future of possibly the 

entire Central Asian region. The opportunities 

for co-operation, investments and trade are now 

there for the taking. 

Parliamentary elections that took place in 

December 2019 returned a new parliament that is 

younger, fresher and more gender-balanced than 

ever before. For the first time, women-members 

reached the 30 percent quota of seats that had 

long been constitutionally promised them. The 

upshot is an energised policymaking sphere in 

Uzbekistan that reflects younger generations’ 

hunger for change. Over 65% of Uzbekistan’s 34 

million-strong population today, is under 30 years 

of age. The average-aged member in our newly 

elected parliament was just a teenager when the 

Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991. Their fading 

memories of the past have helped to sweep away 

old orthodoxies and build a new consensus for 

managing the economy and our social relations: 

one that is more tolerant and open to the entire 

world. 

Young people growing up in Uzbekistan’s 

cities today have more opportunities to succeed 

than ever before, through education, jobs in 

industries that did not even exist in the country 

only a few years ago and most importantly, the 

freedom to express themselves. Access to the 

internet, extensive interactions on social media 

and exposure to modern globalised culture have 

made young people in the country feel more 

connected to the world. The recent surge in 

international tourism into Uzbekistan shows that 

the world is also interested in Uzbekistan. The 

cities of Bukhara, Samarkand & Khiva, jewels of the 

ancient Silk Road trading routes, are welcoming 

global travellers in numbers never seen in the past. 

Today, the visa-free entry regime is extended to 

nationals of 85 counties with additional citizens of 

77 benefiting from a simplified e-visa procedure. 

When President Mirziyoyev came to power 

in December 2016, he pledged to create an 

inclusive and diversified economy, by liberalising 

the country’s social, political and economic makeup. 

Reforms to tackle gender inequality and boost 

women’s participation in the economy were a key 

priority area for unlocking future growth. Today 

the chairperson of Uzbekistan’s upper chamber 

of Parliament is a woman. In 2019, even before 



the parliamentary election, we saw some 

impressive legislative achievements to 

address gender discrimination & ensure 

equal rights in the workplace as well as 

a separate law to tackle gender-based 

violence and domestic abuse against 

women. 

In just over three short years, media 

and political freedoms have seen a 

previously unprecedented expansion. An 

ecosystem of domestic Uzbek and Russianlanguage 

media outlets is flourishing, 

and foreign media organisations that 

previously had trouble getting licences to 

operate in the country, are now welcomed. 

International calls for the release of 

political prisoners and the closure of 

prisons of the past have been met, 

while recent improvements to religious 

protections have been commended by 


the USCIRF. The International Labour 

Organization has also confirmed that 

Uzbekistan has totally eradicated systemic 

child labour in its cotton industry. 

Although much more remains to 

be done in coming years, significant 

progress towards greater freedom and 

transparency is crystal clear. Uzbekistan’s 

direction of travel is firmly established 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

and relentlessly led forward by President 

Shavkat Mirziyoyev. 

Economic reforms, meanwhile, have 

sparked a rush of business activity in the 

country. The scaling back of regulations, 

simplification of taxation and the breakup 

of state monopolies have incentivised 

a wave of business creation. Young 

entrepreneurs, many of whom are 

women, are leading the charge. 

While working closely with all key 

IFI’s on economic & structural reforms in 

the country, we are strongly focused on 

securing international investment to help 

modernise Uzbekistan’s key industries, 

especially agriculture & textile production, 

which remain key growth objectives for 

the economy. With a youthful population 

and an abundance of arable land as well 

as high-quality added value potential, they 

have all the ingredients for rapid & longterm 

growth. 

The lifting of capital and currency 

controls, and wider market reforms, 

have piqued the interest of international 

investors. Efforts to strengthen the rule 

of law and provide legal guarantees for 

foreign investors, led by a British-educated 

justice minister, have sent a clear signal to 

the West that Uzbekistan means business. 

As Uzbekistan expands its horizons, 

building platforms and networks between 

Uzbek companies and international 

partners is essential. The establishment 

of the Europe-Uzbekistan Association 

for Economic Cooperation (EUROUZ) in 

Brussels – an organisation I co-chair on 

the Uzbekistan side – is one such initiative 

that aims to build closer economic 

relationships & mutual understanding 

between Europe and Uzbekistan. The 

message from organisations like EUROUZ 

is clear: the country is open and attractive 

for business. 

For the time being, in the face of the 

coronavirus, the health and wellbeing of 

Uzbekistan’s people takes precedence 

over all economic concerns. Lockdown 

measures enacted as soon as first 

COVID-19 cases emerged, have helped 

to quickly curtail its spread. But while the 

pandemic may have tested Uzbekistan’s 

growth, it has not dampened our desire 

for change. As economic activity rebounds 

in the third and fourth quarters of this 

year, the case for accelerating political 

and economic reforms will only have 

grown stronger. What is clear to see is 

that young people in Uzbekistan, men 

and women, are connected to bring our 

country to its future. Europe should seize 

the moment and look eastward. Together 

with Uzbekistan it can lead the way to a 

more prosperous and stable future for 

Eurasia and beyond. 

69


What We Can Learn 

from Viruses and Our 

Efforts to Defeat Them 

Michel Zaffran 

& Judith Diment 

Michel Zaffran: 

Director of Polio 

Eradication at World 

Health Organization 

Judith Diment: 

Coordinator of 

National Advocacy 

Advisors at Rotary 

International 

COVID-19 is not the first pandemic to 

wreak havoc on a massive scale. The 

2003 SARS pandemic shocked the world, 

and other international outbreaks, such 

as polio and Ebola, have changed the 

way we think about public health. But 

COVID-19, with its global scope and 

rapid spread, has upended our way of 

life. 

We have both the capacity and 

expertise to take on public health 

emergencies, and enhance our 

preparation against future threats. A 

case in point is the clear, comprehensive 

strategy deployed against poliovirus. 

Like COVID-19, polio meets the WHO 

criteria for a public health emergency of 

international concern. Like COVID-19, 

polio once terrorized communities 

around the world – until effective 

vaccines were developed. 

In 1985 Rotary International, a 

global volunteer service organization, 

decided to fight polio. This led to the 

launch of a global effort, the Global Polio 

Eradication Initiative (GPEI) consisting of 

Rotary International, the World Health 

Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, and UNICEF (the 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, later joined 

the partnership). 

When the GPEI formed in 1988, 

there were 350,000 polio cases a year 

in 125 countries. Today the effort 

has resulted in a 99.9% reduction in 

cases. Today, only two countries in the 

world continue to report cases of wild 

poliovirus (Pakistan and Afghanistan). 

Almost 19 million people are walking 

today because they were immunized 

and 1.5 million polio-related deaths 

have been averted since 1988. 

The polio experience has a unique 

capacity to contribute to the COVID-19 

pandemic response, particularly in 

countries with fragile health systems. 

The GPEI is therefore placing the 

infrastructure built to eradicate polio at 



the service of the fight against COVID. 

Three key strategies have carried us to 

the brink of eradicating a human disease 

for only the second time in history. 

First, the deployment of community 

health care workers has been instrumental. 

Many of these health workers are women, 

as they are trusted to enter households 

and have the interactions with mothers 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

and children necessary to deliver primary 

healthcare services. Thousands of polio 

workers are now working to trace contacts 

and educate communities in response to 

COVID-19. 

Second, the logistics of eradicating 

global public health threats like COVID 

requires effective coordination. The 

development of Emergency Operations 

Centers (EOCs) has enabled governments 

to form the public health equivalent of a 

sophisticated ‘situation room’, and make 

decisions and assessments based on 

sound evidence provided in real time. 

Many polio EOCs are in active use to 

coordinate the COVID response. 

Third, a sophisticated surveillance 

network, identifying victims, tracing 

contacts, and monitoring the environment 

for poliovirus, enables the initiative to 

rapidly increase immunity in places where 

the virus is circulating. 

Borrowing from the polio program’s 

contact tracing tactics, the GPEI helped 

stop the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria in 2014 

and a yellow fever outbreak in 2018, and 

is now identifying individuals with--and 

stopping the spread of--COVID-19. 

While responding to COVID-19, the 

GPEI will take every step possible to 

continue protecting children and avoid 

a resurgence of polio. We will continue 

to strengthen immunization in at-risk 

areas, maintain our vaccine supply so 

that campaigns can begin without delay as 

soon as it is safe and sustain surveillance 

to detect the poliovirus. The EU should be 

proud of the US$283 million it has invested 

in polio eradication since 1988 (plus an 

additional US$2.6 billion invested by EU 

member states including the UK), support 

which now offers value-added capacity for 

the COVID-19 response. 

It is vital that the EU continues to 

invest in the GPEI infrastructure, as it will 

enhance our ability to pre-empt, rather 

than react to, future disease outbreaks. 

Although the GPEI has the advantage 

of a proven vaccine against polio, we 

can still learn from its methods, both in 

containing the spread of COVID-19 and in 

enhancing public immunity once a vaccine 

is discovered. 

As the EU and member states work to 

address the crisis, let’s remember that the 

day will come again when planes, boats, 

trains and cars will carry people around 

the world, and viruses will travel with 

them. The EU’s continued investment in 

the resources and infrastructure already 

in place will serve well in protecting us as 

a global community. 


71


Lessons from Australia 

By Hermann Tertsch 

Hermann 

Tertsch 

Spanish Member 


Parliament with the 

ECR Group 

Europe and the US need the 

Australian experience of the 

Chinese threat. 

Europe, the United States and 

Australia have shared a common enemy 

for decades now, but unlike Australians 

most of the societies and governments 

in the Western World have lived ignoring 

this fact. Especially in Europe there has 

been a very dangerous tendency of 

seeing all big foreign powers in the same 

light as neutral commercial partners. If 

there had to be some suspicion it would 

always be directed towards USA rather 

than to the other powers such as China. 

For decades, Europeans who felt they 

were far enough in geographic terms 

but close enough in commercial ones, 

have ignored the warnings coming 

from our close cousins in the Southern 

Hemisphere about the threat that 

Communist China poses to the world. 

Perhaps because we are not in the 

immediate line of sight we chose not to 

listen, or perhaps more likely, because 

we made the decision to turn a blind 

eye in order to continue feeding our 

appetite for cheap Chinese goods. We 

allowed our own dependence on China 

to cloud our vision when it came to our 

relationship with them. 

Now Europe is finally waking up 

to the threat of China. The gross 

misconduct of the Chinese regime with 

the coronavirus and its catastrophic 

effects on the whole world has sent 

a profound shock round the global 

community. And despite the permanent 

waves of Chinese propaganda coming 

from official sources and its enormous 

network in the western world to obscure 

the genesis and further development 

of the pandemic in Wuhan, Europeans 

are becoming aware of the necessity of 

profound changes in the relationship 

with China. We had almost forgotten, 

that our enormous commercial partner 

is a communist regime. Beijing’s 

obscurantist behaviour reminds 

everybody of this crucial fact. 

Now that we are aware of the urgent 

necessity to refocus our relationship 

with China, Europe has a lot to learn 

from Australia. We must ensure that we 

work closer than ever before with our 

allies in Australia and New Zealand. To 

learn from them and build together new 

ways of approaching this relation with a 

growingly expansionist and aggressive 

regime. A quarter of a century ago many 

thought that increasing wealth would 

bring in China a growing openness and 

an evolution towards a more tolerant 

and flexible regime and an opening 

for democracy and respect for human 

rights. Today we can say these prospects 

have failed utterly. 

It is important in times like this 

for the democracies of the world to 

stand together and defend our way 

of life. We need a thorough rethinking 

of our relations to Beijing from the 

common ground of democratic states 

and free societies. China not only 

poses an economic threat, but an 

existential one to our belief in freedom 

and democracy. As well as exporting 

goods and finances, the Chinese are 

exporting their totalitarian model of 

government around the world. Offering 

an alternative to democracy, not only in 

developing countries. We need to join 

forces in order to make the case for 

democracy and free markets in these 

places. 

This would also serve in the interest 

of both Europeans and Australians as it 

would create new markets to export too, 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

and new opportunities to buy goods. Australia, 

unlike Europe, has a dependence on exports 

to China as well as imports. The EU could help 

alleviate some of that pressure by fast tracking 

the free trade agreement being negotiated 

between the two parties. 

By doing so the EU would prove two things 

– first that it is still serious about free trade with 

third countries, something that confidence in 

has fallen. And secondly, it would show that 

the EU was serious about ending China’s hold 

on the global market. 

Possible avenues for deepening the 

relationship between Australia and Europe 

could include joint military exercises with NATO 

in the Pacific. NATO and Australia are already 

closely cooperating on cyber security. We face a 

new cold war against China, and we must make 

sure that the Western world does whatever it 

can to support its members. 

But economic and military alliances aren’t 

enough, like the Cold War, we must be winning 

the war of ideas as well. Throughout the Cold 

War, I worked as a journalist covering the 

Eastern Bloc. I saw first-hand the brutality of 

the Soviet Regime and what Communism did 

for the people of Eastern Europe. The Cold War 

was not won on battle fields but in the hearts 

of the people and their will for freedom much 

mobilized first the polish workers, then the 

whole central and eastern Europe. 

We are facing a similar foe again today. 

The Chinese communist party, like the Soviet 

Union before it, has committed and commits 

permanently infinite crimes against its own 

people. From the use re-education camps in the 

North West of the country, to mass surveillance 

on a scale unprecedented anywhere else in the 

world. 

And just like the USSR before it, the 

Chinese Communists most powerful weapon 

is misinformation. In the same way the Soviet 

Union tried to cover up the Chernobyl disaster, 

China is today covering up what happened in 

Wuhan. Whilst they continue to insist that only 

3,000 died, the reality is much closer to 40,000. 

And just as the Soviet Union used to use 

support to its satellites as a cover for the 

suppression of civil liberties, the Chinese are 

today trying to buy off western governments 

and western media with foreign aid. However, 

this propaganda has already backfired in 

many cases. In my own country, Spain, the 

Chinese provided both face masks and testing 

equipment that didn’t work – at a loss to the 

taxpayer. The same has happened all across 

Europe, and yet at home the Chinese are 

portraying it as a success. Australia has faced 

similar battles against Chinese propaganda in 

the past – and perhaps this is where Europe 

could learn more. 

When this crisis is finally over, we will all 

emerge into a totally different world. And my 

hope is that both Australia and Europe, in a firm 

alliance along with the United States, will finally 

start to hold China to account. And will have 

a common reinforced defence for contention 

that forces the Chinese regime to reform for the 

better or at least contention in its ambitions. 


73


SHUTTERSTOCK 

Poland has Shown True 

European Solidarity 

By Carlo Fidanza 



Carlo Fidanza 

Italian member of the 



The current global health crisis, brought about by the spread of coronavirus 

has taken a heavy toll on Europe, especially on my own home country 

of Italy. So far, some 20,000 people have tragically lost their lives to 

COVID-19. Up and down the country, people mourn the loss of their mothers, 

fathers, grandparents, and in some limited tragic cases, their children. Perhaps 

at this point we can see a light at the end of the tunnel and we know that we will 

finally overcome this crisis. 

No-one chose to fight this disease, and yet thanks to the criminal negligence of 

the Chinese Communist Party, we are forced to. However, we have taken comfort 

in knowing that we are not fighting this totally alone. We, here in Italy, are glad to 

know that we can count of the support of our friends in Poland. 

Since the start of this crisis, the Polish government and people have sent us 

a great deal of support. We are thankful for the Polish doctors who came and 

supported us in Lombardy, specifically in the field hospital in Brescia, to treat our 

sick. We are also thankful for the aid that has been sent in the form of medicine 

and protective equipment including 20,000 litres of disinfectant. 

It is in times like these that we value solidarity between nation states across 

Europe and will need to strengthen those bonds further when it comes to 

repairing the damage done to the economy after this. And even more so when 

it comes to standing together on the world stage in defending our way of life from 

the growing external threats including those posed by China itself. 

And I can say this in full awareness because the Italian government was one 

the first EU and NATO countries to sign the MoU on the new Silk Road with the 

Chinese presidency. And one of the most convinced in developing 5G technology, 

regardless of security and sovereignty issues. 

When all is said and done, both Poland and Italy must stand together against 

these growing threats. We must be sure to send a clear message to the Chinese 

that this crisis has not divided us and that we will not allow their negligence to go 

unanswered. This virus started because their communist party lied to the world, 

and because they failed to act. 

Through the support sent by the Polish government we have already started 

to send that message of unity. The support that the Polish government has 

offered the Italian people will not be forgotten. You have the appreciation of an 

entire nation. 


75


How the Nigerian Diaspora 

is Helping in the Fight 

Against Coronavirus 

By Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa 

The scale of the coronavirus 

outbreak is unlike anything that 

any global citizen has witnessed 

before, and it has warranted a response 

of equal measure. 

The virus has now spread to almost 

every corner of the globe, including to my 

country of Nigeria. 

The global response has touched 

us too. Earlier this month, we received 

a €50 million contribution towards our 

COVID-19 response from the European 

Union. We were heartened that, even at 

a time of great suffering for many of its 

own members, the EU remembered its 

friends and allies across the world. 

The number of Nigerians infected 

remains low compared to some nations. 

But already we have lost too many 

Nigerians to this cruel illness – including 

our President’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari. 

Nigeria grieves with his family at this time 

of great sadness. We grieve with all the 

families across our country who have 

suffered, and will suffer, loss, at the hands 

of this pandemic. 

As leaders, it is incumbent on us to be 

honest that there will be difficult times 

ahead. But we must also find the reasons 

to be hopeful. In Nigeria, I see plenty – 

particularly in the way in which our people 

have responded to the crisis. 

There is a spirit that never dies within 

the Nigerian people, a hopeful spirit that 

comes alive during times of struggle and 

hardship. 

Nigerians are resilient. When faced 

with struggles we respond by working 

hard, finding innovative solutions and 

supporting each other. Since coronavirus 

arrived in our country, inspiring stories 

have emerged of engineers fixing 

ventilators free of charge, and of designers 

using their talents to encourage Nigerians 

to protect themselves and others with face 

masks. 

We also have a secret weapon in our 

fight against coronavirus. The Nigerian 

diaspora. 

In my role as Chairman and CEO 

of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission 

(NIDCOM) I know better than most the 

wealth of human and physical resources 

our diaspora provides to our country – 



never more than at times of crisis. 

Whilst we may be physically isolated, 

conversely, Nigeria and its diaspora have 

been brought closer than ever - by our 

shared culture, our shared values and our 

shared struggles. When all this is over, it 

will be more imperative than ever before 

that Nigerians at home and Nigerians in 

the diaspora work together for the greater 

good of the nation. 

At the time of writing, we have 

tragically lost twenty-five prominent 

Nigerians in the diaspora. Many of the 

members of our diaspora community are 

professionals in the diaspora have been 

welcomed home to fight on the front 

line. Others who wished to return have 

been prevented from doing so by travel 

restrictions, but like true Nigerians have 

found creative solutions to help their 

compatriots. 

The Association of Nigerian Physicians 

in the Americas are introducing 

‘telemedicine’ - long-distance coronavirus 

consultations for patients in Nigeria – 

especially designed for those who live in 

areas where medical access is limited, or 

practices have closed down. 

Hon. Abike 

Dabiri-Erewa 

Senior Special 

Assistant to 

President of Nigeria, 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

on Diaspora and 

Foreign Affairs 

healthcare workers. The United Kingdom 

benefits to the tune of 6,770 Nigerian 

nationals working in the National Health 

Service (NHS). Some have given their 

lives in this fight, including Dr Alfa Saadu 

who dedicated his career to the NHS. 

His passion and commitment embodied 

the Nigerian spirit. Other medical 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

Members of the diaspora who do 

not belong to the medical profession 

have used their resources to provide 

communities with protective health 

equipment and support local businesses. 

In Abia State, members of the diaspora 

have placed bulk orders for personal 

protective equipment to be delivered to 

communities back home. The orders are 

produced by local tailors who, supported 

by Federal Government schemes, have 

so far produced 200,000 face masks and 

3,000 overalls. 

NIDCOM is overseeing a ‘Diaspora 

Support Initiative’ which is collecting 

funds to provide lifesaving medical 

equipment and treatment for COVID-19 

patients in Nigeria, and will help prepare 

our country further for its ongoing fight 

against the virus. In Nigeria, we have been 

overwhelmed by the spirit that has brought 

communities together in response to the 

virus. And we are heartened to know that 

this is being replicated across the world. 

When this difficult period in our 

history has passed, we will not forget how 

so many have suffered at the hands of 

this unforgiving illness. But we must also 

not forget the way in which people came 

together to create a global response quite 

unlike any other. 

In Nigeria, we will remember our secret 

weapon in the fight against coronavirus 

and we will remember the shared spirit 

between country and the diaspora. 

We hope that the diaspora will 

remember that, even when the crisis 

brings us together has passed, wherever 

they find themselves, Nigeria will always 

be home. 


77


Germany and the Future of the Union 

By Gianni Pittella 

In 1919 John Maynard Keynes wrote 

a book entitled: ‘The economic 

consequences of peace’ with which 

he contended with the governments of 

the United States, England and France, 

guilty – for him - of having imposed too 

harsh conditions on Germany in the 

Versailles Conference. 

The British economist, not very 

famous at the time, had participated 

alongside the British Chancellor in the 

peace conference but, embittered by 

the results, abandoned the work in 

controversy. 

Keynes argued that despite the 

German responsibilities in triggering 

the world conflict, the winning powers 

would have had the opportunity to 

forgive their war debts and, indeed, 

especially on the American side, to 

prepare a ‘credit program’ for Germany 

and the Post-war Europe. 

We know perfectly how it went 

and how, at the end of the Second 

World War, Its advice was followed in 

retrospect. 

Today Germany has the future of the 

Union in its hands. 

I write it without rhetorical emphasis 

and with absolute realism with 

respect to the German leadership and 

leadership-related responsibilities. 

Germany, too big for the old 

continent, too small for the world, can 

decide whether to become a bulwark of 

democracy and the integration of the 

European community, or protagonist 

of its dissolution and the acceleration 

of the already clear prodromes of 

democratic decay of the European 

community. 

More than being involved in “games” 



Germany, too big for the old continent, too 

small for the world, can decide whether to 

become a bulwark of democracy and the 

integration of the European community, 

or protagonist of its dissolution and 

the acceleration of the already clear 

prodromes of democratic decay of the 

European community. 

Gianni Pittella 

Member of the Italian 

Senate, Former Vice 

President of the 


& former Leader of 

the S&D Group in the 


of credits and debts, Calvinist or compassionate approaches, progressive 

or conservative positions, the democratic system is at stake. Put in test by 

three elements and one temptation. 

The three elements are the social precariousness that will result from 

the dramatic economic crisis at the gates, the pervasiveness of digital 

control of the masses, the affirmation in the heart of Europe of an incipient 

dictatorship such as Orban. 

The temptation is constituted by the experiment of English isolationism 

whose exit from the Union, although simpler because it is not conditioned 

by monetary affiliation, however, represents the demonstration that it is 

not impossible to get out of a union that is no longer adequate. 

So, let me explain better. 

If Germany does not push for an economic recovery plan based on a 

common debt guaranteed by the EU, the most affected Member States 

will be left only with minimal and ungenerous solutions. The increased 

unemployment in these Member States will results in a dramatic crisis. 

In the history of people, in particular in the history of European people, 

dramatic crisis have always found solutions that are incompatible with 

democracy. 

We are facing a new course. 

In this new course, it will not be enough to suspend the fiscal compact 

for a few years, but it will be necessary to overcome it. It will not be enough 

to prepare public subsidies, but it will be necessary to rediscover the role 

of the state in the economy. If it were to be done, it will not be enough 

to issue bonds for health expenses, but a European health authority will 

be needed. 

And I could go on and on. 

Either the leading states of the Union, and Germany in the lead, can 

plan with responsibility and foresight this new course or we will be crushed 

by history. 

History will mark the return to the borders, to a merely intergovernmental 

Europe, to a widespread risk of emptying the institutions of democracy. 

It is time for Germany to assume the burden of driving, otherwise 

its historic compulsion to repeat will condemn the entire continent to 

irrelevance and stagnation. 


79


Stringent Social Distancing 

Measures are Working out 

How the severely hit province of Tyrol made it to decrease infection rate to 0 

By Sophia Kircher 

On the 27th of February the World Health Organisation 

said that no country should make the fatal mistake 

of assuming it will be spared the coronavirus. The 

coronavirus started in China, found its way to Europe and 

also to the province of Tyrol (Austria). All of us know what has 

happened since the end of February – COVID-19 has been 

spreading across the world. 

Tyrol, known as “The heart of the Alps”, got severely hit 

by COVID-19. There are two main reasons for this. First of 

all, Tyrol borders Italy, which suffers from highest infection 

rates. Secondly, it’s the strong focus on international tourism 

with 50 Mio. overnight stays per year. With 61 overnight stays 

per inhabitant Tyrol is among world´s top countries in terms 

of this ratio. 

At the end of February, the province, with a total of 751 

140 inhabitants, counted two COVID-19 infected persons – a 

24-year-old couple who travelled from the area of Bergamo 

to Innsbruck. Two weeks later the provincial authorities 



Sophia Kircher 

Member of the 

regional Parliament of 

Tyrol with the Austrian 

People’s Party 

got informed that several Icelandic tourists 

were infected with the virus during their stay 

in Ischgl (Tyrol). Due to this information the 

local authorities asked everybody showing 

flu-like symptoms to get tested for corona. 

A barkeeper got tested positive on March 

7th. That day immediate measures were 

implemented. Three days later all bars in 

Ischgl were closed and on March 13th all skiing 

areas in the “Paznaun valley”, where Ischgl 

is located, were shut down. On March 15th 

all skiing areas in the province of Tyrol were 

closed as well. Taking in consideration that ski 

tourism is one of the biggest economic drivers 

in Tyrol, this decision was a hard cut for the 

province, but it was absolutely necessary. Today 

it is easy to blame the government of Tyrol for 

not acting sooner. However, the outbreak of 

the virus was completely new for all countries 

and regions around the globe. There were 

no experiences of combatting the COVID-19 

pandemic and all decisions made were based 

on the recommendations of leading medical 

experts. At the beginning of March data was 

lacking and many details about COVID-19 were 

not known. With the knowledge we possess 

today some decisions would have been made 

earlier or differently. Therefore, it is necessary 

to evaluate all steps made – in Tyrol, in Austria, 

in Europe and around the globe. We need to 

build on the lessons learned from COVID-19 to 

be better prepared for the future. The search 

for a scapegoat does not change the current 

situation. Now it is important that we fight 

together against COVID-19 by collaborating 

on a vaccine. It needs to be our common goal 

to prevent hospitals from collapsing and open 

borders and all businesses again. 

Thanks to restrictive measures the 

healthcare system did not collapse in Tyrol 

and hospitals could take care of intensive care 

patients from Italy (e.g. South Tyrol). With this 

step Tyrol eased the pressure on the South 

Tyrolian health system. This was a small but 

important contribution in terms of European 

solidarity. Especially at the beginning of the 

crises we experienced a lack of this solidarity as 

countries blamed each other for spreading the 

virus and not reacting fast enough. Although, 

from the beginning on, there was a tremendous 

solidarity among the society in Tyrol. Many 

people lent a hand to those who are elderly or 

disabled. Moreover, people have started buying 

regional products to support local businesses. 

Tyrol´s economy has come to a standstill 

after the government closed all non-essential 

businesses. Only grocery stores, medical 

facilities, post offices and banks remained 

open. The province has experienced a massive 

rise in unemployment. The unemployment 

rate increased by 199% compared to the 

same month in the previous year and has hit 

a historic high since WW II. To get companies 

through this difficult time, the national and 

provincial government filled a crises fund with 

approximately € 38 Billion. With state money 

the government tries to keep companies alive 

so that economy can be restarted after the 

crises. Several measures such as the extension 

of “short-term work” and granting generous 

credit assistance were set to protect jobs. 

Since mid-March Austrians are not 

supposed to leave their homes except going 

to the supermarket or the pharmacy, going to 

work, if working from home is not possible and 

to check on housebound people. 

In order to stop the spread of the virus the 

government of Tyrol set stricter regulations 

and put the entire province in quarantine for 

at least three weeks and some municipalities 

for more than 6 weeks. Wearing face masks 

got compulsory in all supermarkets by the 

beginning of April and got extended to public 

transport. The fast and restrictive reactions 

and physical distancing have led to a steady 

decline. The drastic measures gave Austria the 

opportunity to get out of the crisis more quickly 

and measures have got gradually eased since 

the end of the Easter holiday. Austria was the 

first country in Europe to ease its lockdown 

against the pandemic. The slow return to 

normality began on April 14th. Small shops and 

garden centers reopened under restrictions 

such as wearing masks and keeping distance. 

As of May 1st other business such as hair 

salons will be allowed to reopen and there is 

a possibility that restaurants and cafes would 

be allowed to start operating again in mid-May. 

On April 19th, for the first time since the 

beginning of March, no new infection was 

reported in Tyrol, although 743 people were 

tested that day. Out of approximately 43.000 

tested people in Tyrol 3.339 got a positive 

test result. The numbers are strong evidence 

that stringent social distancing measures are 

working. 


81


Turkey and Covid-19: 

Stepping into Supply Chains 

By Nail Olpak 

Businesses all have contingency plans and procedures 

in place to manage crises of various sorts when they 

arise. But in truth, no amount of planning could have 

prepared us for the sucker-punch dealt by Coronavirus and 

the subsequent social distancing measures, rightly and 

necessarily instituted to protect people and save lives. 

With whole sectors of the economy on hold and global 

supply chains suffering disruption, the true test for all of us 

comes now: how will we bounce back from the unexpected? 

The answer, so far, has been quietly promising. 

In my role as President of DEiK, Turkey’s Foreign Economic 

Relations Board, I hear first-hand how constraints on the 

movement of people, goods and services during this crisis 

are taking a heavy toll on businesses. Our membership makes 

up the majority of Turkey’s top businesses and despite the 

quietly promising outlook for the future, many are feeling 

the squeeze right now. 

Industrial output has been hit hard by sagging demand in 

Europe and delays for intermediary parts. As the world’s sixth 

most popular tourist destination, Turkey’s tourism sector, 

which accounts for around one tenth of our national GDP, 

has taken a beating. Airlines, hotels, restaurants and many 

others look likely to suffer greatly during the crucial summer 

months as international visitors stay put. 

And yet, while it’s easy to paint a gloomy picture of the 

economic situation, we have cause to take great pride in how 

businesses have responded to the crisis so far. 

As global supply chains have run into virus-related 

blockages, businesses around the world have moved swiftly 

to release them. When China’s factories were paralysed by 

the virus in the early months of this year and its textiles 

manufacturers were unable to service all their orders, Turkish 

businesses stepped in to supply major European clothing 

brands. Agility brings rewards: our textiles manufacturers 

secured an estimated $2 billion worth of orders in the process. 

We have seen the private sector display an incredible 

capacity for adaptation as the crisis has thrown up previously 

unthinkable demands. With the world scrambling to produce 

the necessary medical equipment for treating coronavirus, 

businesses have rushed to help. From US automobile to 

defence and electronics manufacturers here in Turkey, a wide 

sweep of industries has shifted their production to making 

life-saving ventilators and personal protective equipment. 

Businesses are answering the calls of governments to join 

the fight, and their capacity for innovation has been a game 

changer. 

Initiatives like these shows how the private and public 

sectors can work together to confront the challenges we face. 

And it’s impossible to ignore how governments have risen 

to the occasion. As the insurer of last resort, unprecedented 

crises like this one call for governments to step in and provide 

support for businesses and help keep as many people in 

work as possible. 

Coronavirus is a leveller; it touches all of us and it requires 

a unified effort to defeat it. Almost all major economies, 

Turkey’s included, are likely to experience contractions in GDP 

in the second quarter of this year. And the old adage remains, 



Nail Olpak 

President of DEiK, 

Foreign Economic 

Relations Board of 

Turkey 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

global problems require global solutions. 

Some of the inspiring stories of cooperation between 

businesses during the crisis, demonstrate what can be 

achieved when we are all reading from the same page 

and confronting a common enemy. 

Dialogue is now more important than ever, if 

businesses, governments and civil society are to 

continue their collective effort. I know organisations like 

my own have taken on a renewed sense of importance. 

DEiK is helping Turkish businesses to communicate with 

and support each other as they navigate the crisis, while 

also ensuring they speak as one on the global stage. 


We must make no illusions of the scale of the crisis 

we face. But the signs are there, in the myriad tales 

of ingenuity and cooperation during this crisis, that 

businesses are rising to the challenge of coronavirus. 

We are still in the earlier stages of this global pandemic, 

but I believe there is cause for cautious optimism that 

we will weather this storm. 

When we do come out the other side, I only hope that 

the spirit of togetherness that is carrying us through this 

crisis endures. One of the many lessons to be learned 

from this crisis is that we are greater than the sum of 

our parts. We must not forget it. 

83

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Critical 

Infrastructure 

& The Future 

of Business

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE & THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS 

Digital Greece: Turning 

Crisis into Opportunity 

By Grigoris Zarifopoulos 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

In his 1959 speech, John F. Kennedy famously said: “When written in Chinese, 

the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters - one represents danger and 

one opportunity”. Even though today it is widely recognized that this is not 

the correct interpretation of the Chinese characters, JFK’s quote about crisis 

giving birth to opportunity is more relevant than ever. 

It is definitely relevant for Greece, a country that has ever been lagging far 

behind the rest of European countries in digital governance and overall use of 

technology, ranking 25th out of the 27 EU countries on EU’s Digital Economy 

and Society Index (DESI), for 2019. Modernizing the state through the use of 

technology has been at the very top of the new Greek government’s agenda 

ever since it took office following the July 7th, 2019, national election. The newly 

formed Ministry of Digital Governance put together a comprehensive strategic 

Grigoris 

Zarifopoulos 

Greek Deputy 

Minister for Digital 

Governance, 

responsible for Digital 

Strategy and for 

attracting investment 

in Digital Technology 


87


plan (incorporated in the, so called, 

Bible of Digital Transformation), to 

digitize the public sector, provide online 

services to Greek citizens, strengthen 

the population’s digital literacy and 

incorporate innovative technologies in 

all sectors of the Greek economy. 

Plato is credited for coining the 

phrase, “Necessity is the mother of 

invention” - the Covid19 pandemic acted 

as the forcing mechanism to accelerate 

innovation in Greece, leading to rapid 

advances in digital governance. Faced 

with an unprecedented crisis, the 

Greek government fast realized that 

technology, if applied effectively, could 

provide immediate solutions to help 

manage the problem at hand. From the 

very onset of the crisis, digital means 

were used for citizens to declare the 

reasons for leaving their home and 

gov.gr was introduced, 3 months earlier 

than originally planned, to help citizens 

complete necessary transactions with 

the state remotely. This new platform 

now acts as a single digital gateway 

to more than 500 services, including 

some new, high volume ones, of the 

likes of citizen’s solemn declaration and 

authorization/power of attorney. In less 

than a month, more than 150,000 of 

just these two services were completed 

online, saving citizens and enterprises 

precious productive time while keeping 

them safe at base. Similarly, many forms 

required by the public sector, whether 

related to Health, Education, Justice or 

other aspects of citizens’ interaction 

with the state, can now be accessed 

online with the relevant procedures 

completed digitally. 

At the same time, a teleconferencing 

platform was introduced to allow public 

servants to work from home, as well 

as online digital learning and virtual 

classroom tools were made available to 

allow for public schools and universities 

to continue their operation remotely. 

Moreover, a new digital service was 

introduced allowing patients to receive 

drug prescriptions on their cell phone, 

without having to physically visit their 

doctor. This was critical for chronically 

Technology has become an ally 

not just to battle but also to help 

survive Covid19. Technology has 

become an integral part of Greek 

people’s everyday life, a positive 

side effect of the pandemic. 

ill patients to minimize unnecessary 

exposure during the Covid19 pandemic. 

As a result, more than 500,000 drug 

prescriptions have been implemented 

digitally to date in Greece. Last but not 

least, telemedicine solutions, providing 

consultation to Covid19 patients as well 

as psychological support to citizens, 

have also been implemented at scale 

as a response to the health crisis. 

Technology has become an ally not 

just to battle but also to help survive 

Covid 19. Technology has become 

an integral part of Greek people’s 

everyday life, a positive side effect of 

the pandemic. 

As President Kennedy suggested, 

out of crises can emerge amazing 

opportunities. But, for this to happen, 

traditional approaches need to 

be questioned and challenged. As 

incentives and motives change under 

pressure, new working structures 

emerge or become even more relevant. 

Ever since last summer, the Greek 

Ministry of Digital Governance has been 

focusing on completing many smaller 

scale ICT projects rather than few, large 

scale ones, to drive the country’s digital 

transformation. These smaller scale 

ICT projects require dedicated, fully 

accountable working teams embracing 

agile design and implementation 

techniques. Under crisis, these 

flexible structures and methodologies 

have become the new operational 

norm, effectively adapting to the new 

circumstances and producing fast timeto-market 

results. 

More importantly, the new approach 

places citizens at the forefront. It is a 

people-centric approach that aims to 

serve the citizens’ needs rather than 

the public sector’s ones. 

The modernization of the Greek 

public sector, as well as the incorporation 

of technology in all aspects of the Greek 

economy shall continue even after the 

crisis is over. Further to their immediate 

contributions during the pandemic, the 

digital tools and processes put in place 

have also contributed in a very important 

mentality shift: e-government has 

increased citizen trust in government 

and public administration. We still have 

a long way to go. Moving forward, we 

need to capitalize on this invaluable 

legacy. 



Full-service Healthcare Distributors have Proven 

their Resilience Throughout the COVID-19 Crisis 

Ensuring Continuous Service for European Patients 

By Monica Derecque Pois 

Monica 

Derecque Pois 

Director General 


Healthcare 

Distribution 

Association 

Over the past number of weeks during 

the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, fullservice 

healthcare distributors have 

proven time and time again their efficiency in 

ensuring the continuous supply of medicines. 

Full-service healthcare distributors 

typically work out of sight, yet they are 

indispensable and crucial components 

of healthcare systems. Patients trust that 

their local pharmacy and other healthcare 

institutions will have the correct medicine in 

the exact quantity and at the precise time 

needed. They rely on full-service healthcare 

distributors to continuously provide a rapid, 

safe and manufacturer independent supply 

of products, including life-saving medicines, 

to the sites of healthcare provision. 

This could not be truer under the current 

circumstances. More than ever, healthcare 

systems rely on full-service healthcare 

distributors, to ensure the safe and efficient 

delivery of medicines and medical devices 

to patients, not only for the treatment of 

COVID-19. 

The COVID-19 outbreak has sent 

healthcare systems into a whirlwind of 

uncertainties and unprecedented difficulties. 

Healthcare professionals in primary and 

secondary care settings had to cope with 

the enormous surge in patients needing 

assistance and treatment to a disease still 

unpredictable in its development. 

Healthcare professionals, together with 

pharmaceutical manufacturers and fullservice 

healthcare distributors have been 

at the forefront of the fight against the 

disease. Full-service healthcare distributors 

responded efficiently and effectively to 

confront the challenges in the fight by relying 

on an established and proven distribution 

infrastructure and network. 

Across Europe, the outbreak presented our 

sector with immense challenges due to the farreaching 

effects of the virus, examples include: 

- The application of border controls by 

EU Member States considerably impacted 

the transport of medicines from the 

manufacturing sites and storage hubs to 

the dispensing outlets. The creation of “green 

lanes” implemented at the urge of supply 

chain stakeholders proved very helpful. 

- The imposition of quarantine measures 

by national authorities have rendered access 

to restricted/quarantined areas (“red zones”) 

very difficult, where patients needed their 

medicines most urgently. Since full-service 

healthcare distributors have been recognised 

as critical infrastructure, quarantined areas 

can be accessed without further delays. 

- Full-service healthcare distributors 

are concerned about recently introduced 

export bans of certain Active Pharmaceutical 

Ingredients (APIs) by countries such as India. 

The impact of such measures could be felt 

widely in a few months’ time and increase 

the already existing problem of medicine 

shortages. 

- Export restrictions imposed by EU 

Member States for medicines and medical 

devices lead to disruptions of supply chains 

in the EU, as no country is self-sufficient in 

terms of its medicine consumption. Thanks 

to the timely and clear guidance from the 

European Commission many restrictions 

have already been lifted. 

- Full-service healthcare distributors need 

to maintain high staffing levels and services 

to be able to supply medicines to patients. 

While doing so, they take all measures 

to ensure the safety of their employees. 

However, warehouse workers and drivers 

of full-service healthcare distributors today 

remain without the promised Personal 

Protections Equipment (PPE) to adequately 

protect themselves and their colleagues. This 

continues to be a source of frustration for 

full-service healthcare distributors and raises 

the level of anxiety for workers. 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

In order to respond to aforementioned obstacles as 

well as to future threats from the COVID-19 crisis, fullservice 

healthcare distributors have developed coordinated 

contingency plans to allow for the rapid deployment of 

measures at short notice. Overall, our sector has proven its 

resilience in keeping the value chain efficiently working - even 

under the most difficult circumstances. 

GIRP, the European Healthcare Distribution Association, 

is actively engaging with European institutions and national 

governments to highlight the availability and willingness of 

the full-service healthcare distribution sector to support 

healthcare systems deal with the continuing challenges 

and future needs. Full-service healthcare distributors have 

well-established distribution infrastructure in every country 

in Europe that can ensure the appropriate and equitable 

distribution of products to all points of dispense. This includes 

the fair distribution of masks, gloves, antigen, antibody tests 

and, in the future, a life-saving vaccine. 

As an association, GIRP has been working with partners 

such as the European Commission, European Medicines 

Agency, pharmacy and pharmaceutical manufacturing 

trade bodies to identify and mitigate possible impediments 

to the safe and secure distribution of increased volumes of 

medicines. 


Examples of GIRP’s engagement include: 

- Formal governmental recognition of the crucial role being 

played by full-service healthcare distributors in tackling the 

COVID-19 pandemic. The recognition by governments of fullservice 

healthcare distributor staff as key workers, which allows 

warehouse workers and drivers to move around with a special 

permission to be able to deliver medicines to patients in need; 

- Calling for greater access to PPE and eventually to COVID-19 

antigen and antibody testing. 

The priority of the GIRP remains the safe and secure 

distribution of medicines, which in itself is predicated on the 

safety of full-service healthcare distribution staff, such as gaining 

access to PPE. 

About GIRP 

GIRP, the European Healthcare Distribution Association, is 

the umbrella organisation for full-service healthcare distributors 

in Europe. It represents the national associations of over 750 

pharmaceutical wholesalers serving 34 European countries, 

as well as major international and pan-European healthcare 

distribution companies. GIRP members employ over 140,000 

people and distribute around 15 billion packs of medicines as 

well as a wide range of healthcare products per year. As the 

vital link in healthcare, they are committed to developing and 

providing innovative and efficient healthcare products and 

services to improve health and wellbeing of patients across 

91


What is the Role of Businesses in Europe’s 

Fight Against COVID-19, and in its Recovery? 

By Cybelle Buyck 

As a brewer with a European heritage that dates back 

600 years to the Den Hoorn Stella Artois brewery 

in Leuven, Belgium, our role has long been to bring 

people together. 

Yet this role took on a different meaning with the arrival 

of COVID-19. As governments across Europe undertook 

necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus, we saw 

industries change their way of working, the bars, restaurants 

and cafes where people gather closed and populations urged 

to stay at home, self-isolate and socially distance. 

In this vastly changed reality, we reassembled quickly to 

answer new questions: firstly, how can we keep our 7,500 

people across 18 breweries and offices in EU member states 

safe and healthy? How can we support our customers who are 

also dealing with this new landscape? How can we help our 

communities, and how can we still bring people together at 

a distance? And finally, how can we ensure a lasting, healthy 

recovery? 

Ensuring the health and safety of our 

people 

From the outset of this crisis, our top priority as a business has 

been protecting our colleagues and ensuring their health and 

safety. As a global company we were able to use important 

learnings from our China and South Korea business as we 

shifted everyone who could work from home to remote 

working and put in enhanced hygiene and safety measures 

at our breweries. These included arranging production lines 

and cantines to take social distancing into account, increasing 

cleaning cycles and putting in voluntary temperature checks 

at our brewery entrances. 

As many businesses now understand, we also have a duty 

of care for our people’s mental, as well as physical, health. 

We recognize how unprecedented the current situation is 

and the rapid adaptations our people are making. We’re 

listening to feedback each and every week and providing 

new trainings for our teams – from daily physical exercise 

sessions and webinars on wellbeing to virtual happy hours 

and inspirational sessions every Friday, called Beer Talk, 

where we invite an external speaker to talk to our teams 

over Zoom. 

Our people are our greatest strength and in these times, 

I’ve been humbled to watch them rally to support each other. 

We are proud of their resilience and commitment of our 

people and know that we are in this together. 

Supporting the long-term success of our 

partners 

As restaurants, bars and pubs across Europe closed their 

doors, we knew that the partners we supply our beers to, 

would be struggling financially. Our teams worked at speed 

to devise, design and develop a new platform that would 

enable consumers to buy a voucher for their local bar, which 

we would match, giving these outlets much-needed income 

now, and people could redeem these once their bar reopens. 

This platform went live in a matter of days, called ‘Café 

Courage’ in Belgium, and has rolled out since in the UK, France 

and Italy, raising over half a million euros for participating 

bars and pubs. 

We’re also working with our customers to give deferred 

rent payments, free tap cleaning services and keg restocks 

with fresh beer to support a fast recovery for the sector when 

social distancing measures begin to ease. 

Helping our communities in need 

A responsible business must also go beyond their own 

people, operations and business partners. 

Although beers such as Leffe and Stella are globallyrecognized 

brands, beer is a very local product. 95% of our 

beers are locally sourced, locally grown, locally brewed. We as 

a company are deeply-rooted in the communities in which we 

operate and therefore we are in a unique position to support 

them and to be a part of the solution. 

As European governments and public health bodies 

began implementing measures to combat the spread of 

Covid-19, public demand for hand sanitizers and disinfectant 

increased dramatically. As these products are alcohol-based, 

we were able to step in to help. 

Turning our efforts from brewing with barley and hops 

to producing biocides was a different challenge, but one that 

we rose to given the situation. We partnered with companies 

with expertise in this area to produce over 120,000 litres of 

ready-to-use disinfectant alcohol and hand sanitizers, using 

the surplus alcohol from our alcohol-free beers, like Jupiler 

0.0, Leffe 0,0 and Beck’s Blue. These were delivered to crisis- 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

Cybelle Buyck 

European Vice 

President of Legal & 

Corporate Affairs, AB 

InBev 


coordination teams and governments across 

Europe to distribute for free to hospitals and 

frontline services that needed it most. 

Alongside shifting production to hand 

sanitizers, disinfectant liquids and gels, 

we’ve donated a million alcohol-free beers 

to frontline health workers and donated our 

billboard space to public health campaigns by 

FIFA and WHO. 

I have always believed that our company can 

only exist with support and partnership from our 

communities. In times of crisis, this role becomes 

even clearer. 

Building a lasting recovery 

Although uncertainty remains, we know 

that with our people, our partners and our 

communities we will emerge from this, and 

emerge stronger together. Yet, what will the 

other side look like and how can we learn from 

this experience to build a better, safer, cleaner 

recovery? 

As a business, we have long advocated the 

importance of long-term, sustainable growth. 

The fight against COVID-19 has given us 

important food for thought on how quickly we 

can collaborate, connect and change behaviours 

and actions when needed. What could we 

achieve together if we applied this mindset, 

focus on fast solutions and partnership between 

governments, institutions and businesses to the 

difficult questions we will now face? 

While we must continue to prioritise public 

health and accelerating progress towards 

a vaccine, an economic, environmental and 

societal recovery needs to be taken into account. 

Here we believe there is a great opportunity 

for the European Union to lead the way in 

developing a sustainable future by encouraging 

green investments. Policy makers should look to 

incentivise and reward first-mover companies so 

others follow this lead, generating unstoppable 

momentum towards carbon neutrality. We 

believe that this progressive approach will not 

only lead to lasting environmental benefits, but 

will also create growth and employment. 

We know that the next few months will 

bring challenges and as a business deeplyrooted 

in Europe, we are here to support 

a smart recovery that is built to last for our 

future generations. 

93


SHUTTERSTOCK 

A New Narrative in Tourism 

is an Urgent Necessity 

By Angela Gerekou 

Interdependence is the main feature 

of our economy and especially when it 

comes to a small country like Greece, 

with a weak economy, which should be 

developed in an international economic 

and geopolitical environment, which 

is uncertain, turbulent and ruthlessly 

competitive. 

The recovery that we are all 

discussing at some point of course soon 

shall return to world tourism, although 

it is not possible to be determined 

exactly on the basis of previous crises, 

and especially this one that has very 

special features. 

I recently read in a study by Ipsos 

Opinion that only 4% of consumers 

believe that brands need to stop 

advertising, but they emphasize that 

the approach and the content need to 

change. 

In the same study, I note that the 

issue of “health safety” (safety protocols) 

is now perhaps the most important 

request of potential visitors in general. 

It is important for all of us to point 

out and congratulate the coordinated 

efforts of the Greek government, but 

also the response of all of us, because 

it is particularly important that all the 



Angela 

Gerekou 

President of the Greek 

National Tourism 

Organisation 

necessary measures were taken in time 

to reduce the spread of the virus. 

Till today, our country has shown a 

sense of responsibility and seriousness 

in the European and international 

environment, which will “receive” it in 

the near future, as long as it continues to 

move at the same pace as planned and it 

is important that we all continue together. 

The government’s priority continues to 

be on delaying, containing and preparing 

the country to minimize serious illness 

and economic disruption. We must all 

do our part to prevent transmission of 

COVID-19 and I ask that you all follow the 

advice of the Government’s health officer. 

We need to be more prepared and 

united now than ever before, as we still 

have a long way to run and we are heading 

for uncharted areas. 

We are also working on ways to 

support businesses and organizations 

affected the most by the restrictions 

on travel and gatherings. I am speaking 

with my Cabinet colleagues daily and the 

Ministry of Tourism so to be well informed 

of impacts to people and businesses in 

the tourist sector. 

It is also important to broaden and 

maintain the production business and 

the wider economy until the crisis is 

normalised, and it must be the main 

concern of the state. 

The structure and scope of economic 

policy decisions at the European level is 

a crucial contributor to this. 

In this important period I also believe 

that we should work decisively and 

smartly, because this is for all of us. It is a 

restart in every respect. 

Tourism plays an important role 

in safeguarding and protecting local 

heritage. Now is a good time to focus 

on engaging local communities to 

document the unique history and culture 

of the destination and ensure that it is 

safeguarded for future generations and 

shared with visitors. 

Our experience extends to exhibit 

design and interpretation for museums 

and visitor attractions using state of the 

art technologies to enhance the visitor 

experience. This is the best way to add 

quality to the new era in tourism, products 

and services, unlocking the potentials of 

special interest tourism fields. 

Furthermore, promoting sustainable 

practices in the entire circle of the tourism 

industry is a guarantee that Greek tourism 

can be essential to the country’s effort for 

development. 

Our main focus is to communicate 

and interpret the significance of the 

environment, promote minimal impact 

practices, ensure the sustainability of 

the natural and cultural environment, 

and motivate visiting tourists to evaluate 

the quality of life in relation to larger 

ecological or cultural concerns. 

Greece, first of all, is an idea, and is on 

the list with the most beautiful countries 

in the world and we ought to keep it that 

way. 

Every event teaches and evolves us, 

so we keep in touch with our people, we 

communicate, and for whatever concerns 

us technology is the tool. This means we 

do not lose contact. 

It is a period of knowledge, 

development, strength to feed ourselves 

spiritually, mentally, physically, and a 

good time to foster collaborations and 

cultivate relationships that interest us. 

Everything goes through its own cycle 

and we must act wisely and reprogramme 

and stay focus on our target so that we 

can recognize our inner strength and 

calmness and use it positively in any 

uncertain scenarios. 

We ought first of all to ourselves and 

our children, to discover the hidden 

blessing that is hiding here and to find 

our way synchronize with it. 

Finally, I want to take a moment to 

acknowledge that this is a stressful time 

for everyone. I encourage you all to take 

care of yourselves, your families, and your 

friends during the difficult days ahead. 

I will close these thoughts with a 

prayer. 

Give me the beauty of the soul and claim 

me with the harmony of soul and body. Help 

me count the wise as rich...and give me the 

wealth that only the restrained man can 

endure and maintain. - Socrates 


95


Hauling US Banking Infrastructure 

By Archie Ravishankar 

Archie 

Ravishankar 

Founder and CEO of 

Cogni 

The COVID-19 pandemic is confronting 

us at every level of the global economy. 

We have never seen the economy 

shutdown at this scale and duration, and bring 

us into such completely uncharted territory. In 

the United States, we are seeing the Federal 

Government mounting a very ambitious 

economic response. Its role and attempts to 

ease the economic burden could last for years. 

Recently, Democratic presidential candidate, Joe 

Biden was quoted as saying “the next few years 

will look like the beginning of the presidency of 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt [FDR],” the president 

who was famous for taking America out of the 

Great Depression and putting a large portion 

of the unemployed back to work. 

FDR’s approach was a complete paradigm 

shift from how the U.S. Government has 

functioned in the preceding 162 years before 

his election. The nation’s budget was split into 

a small group of silos -Defense (then referred 

to as War), Treasury, Postal Service, Interior, 

and Foreign Affairs. At that point, the U.S. was 

a growing global power, and had not yet earned 

the super-power status it attained after World 

War II. So FDR’s approach focused on bringing 

the country out of the Depression by reshuffling 

how a reduced tax base was distributed. The 

New Deal as it was called, was the largest-ever 

public works program. It saw the creation 

of many new departments of the federal 

government, most notably The Department 

of Labor, addressing an area where the U.S. 

had a surplus. This new department was 

the first tangible example of disruption in 

the last century. To deploy the unemployed 

masses, it launched a series of initiatives that 

laid the foundation for the nation today. The 

Department of Labor’s programs built new 

roads, parks, rail lines, airports, and more, all of 

which are critical to the nation’s infrastructure. 

Fast-forward to today, most of that physical 

infrastructure, and it’s digital counterpart are in 

serious need of updating; if Biden is correct, we 

may see the United States go through a process 

of significant upgrading. 

Today, the impacts of COVID-19 and the 

social distancing and shelter in place orders 

have just begun to decimate the U.S. economy. 

There is no doubt that we are only in the early 

stages and are just scratching the surface of 

what could possibly face us. While economists 

disagree about the level of impact we will see in 

the near future, they all agree the effects will be 

dire, some believing that the U.S. economy will 

shrink by as much as 40%. Some share the same 

view as current U.S. President that the “cure 

may be worse than the cause.” Even the most 

conservative estimates project the recovery 

program will cost trillions of dollars more over 

the next few years, on top of trillions in relief 

measures already approved by the Congress 

and President to date. The harmful effects 

of this pandemic are not equally distributed. 

Children will be the largest victim, physically and 

economically, because the financial decisions 

made today will impact the nation for years to 

come. 

As we navigate this storm, the United 

States Department of Homeland Security has 

identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors 

whose assets, systems, and networks, 

whether physical or virtual, are considered 

so vital to the United States. Their potential 

incapacitation would have a debilitating effect 

on security, economic security, national public 

health or safety, or any combination thereof. 

The Financial Services Sector, one of the 16 

includes global corporate and investment 

banks, insurance companies, thousands of 

smaller depository institutions, credit card 

providers, financial technology companies, and 

more. Despite any qualms the general public 

may have with this sector, it’s arguably the most 

critical piece of the U.S.’s infrastructure. It serves 

as the fuel and backbone for every other sector 

of the economy and is an industry that is at a 

crossroads. The sector can choose business as 

usual or business with purpose. So far, all signs 

point to the former. 

It’s shocking to see a lack of altruistic action 

coming from the large banks. Instead, as claims 

made in several class-action lawsuits state, the 

largest banks have used this as an opportunity 

to profit. They have been quick to prioritize 

their largest customers and the substantial 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

origination fees they represent, while doing little to provide 

relief for the individuals that need it most. The crisis is their 

opportunity to lead, and help the nation pick-up where FDR’s 

new deal left off. Banks could, for example, offer low-interest 

loans to state and local governments to address the physical 

infrastructure issues plaguing the United States, they could also 

use their superior resources to create simple and easy routes for 

individuals to find financial relief, both would ease the financial 

burden on the average American by offering opportunities for 

them to work. Finally, a term often used in business is “money 

is cheap,” meaning the costs of financing are at all-time lows. 

Financing in banks used to be what provided customers with 

an average 8% interest on their savings. Instead, banks began 

taking nearly 90% of that interest away from customers to make 

“money cheap” for their corporate clients. It’s business as usual 

and all the typical business issues that come with it. 

As the CEO of Cogni, our banking priority is to ensure the 

critical needs of our customers are met in a timely and efficient 

manner. We will continue to innovate and develop new financial 

products that support the financial needs of the Americans who 

can and cannot work from home. I founded Cogni to change 

the way people bank and their relationship with their financial 

institutions. We saw many issues with the banking system, when 

the economy was thriving, and are now seeing even worse issues 

during a crisis. I’m encouraged by the fact that our company is 

in business, and we are a part of a growing group of cohorts 

that customers are quickly turning to for their financial needs. 

When the big banks were turning people away from their Pay 

Check Protection loan applications, Fintechs like BlueVine and 

Grasshopper Bank were there to offer a simple route to this 

critical relief. These are two examples of the next generation 

of financial services, one being a provider of capital the other 

is a growing business bank. Seeing this creates excitement for 

what’s coming next. 

In the past 20 years, the industries that have been disrupted 

haven’t been those that stood still and practiced business as 

usual regardless of external factors. When the writing was on 

the wall that Americans wanted smaller, more fuel-efficient 

cars, Ford, Chrysler, and G.M. ignored the signs and continued 

to make the same cars they always made. This blindness 

opened the door for Japanese and Korean vehicles to quickly 

gain popularity, and bring these stalwart American institutions 

to near bankruptcy. We’ve seen the same story play out with 

retail, food and beverage, agriculture, energy, and several other 

sectors. The only one remaining somewhat immune has been 

Financial Services; but with Fintech emerging as the champion 

in the early stages of the economic downturn, I believe this is 

proof of the next wave of disruption and, in 10 years, will be 

focused on changing this critical industry. The leaders of today 

will be telling a very similar story about the near-defeat of the 

American banking industry and the “New Deal” that Fintechs 

offered to evolve a slow-moving sector. 


97


Take Africa into Consideration 

By Nikos Papazoglou 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

After an intense day, one of the many of my 

business activities that complete more than 

50 years, yet at the same time, different due 

to the fight on the front line with an invisible enemy, 

the corona-virus, I tried to put some thoughts in order 

and see the “bigger picture” for today and the future. 

As I usually say, every crisis creates opportunities, 

as long as one can see them and is willing to make 

use of them. As cliché and widely used as this phrase 

may sound, it is a reality. Keep the details of this short 

introduction for the next lines. 

Being involved in the market from a very young 

age, as a result of the loss of my father at the age 

of 7, I tried to turn this unfortunate moment into 

an opportunity. So, in 1969, along with my brother 

George, who had worked in a pharmacy and knew 

the industry, we entered the field of pharmaceuticals. 

Our guide in this process has always been solvency, 

that is, whatever you say to do. Hence, you always 

come out victorious over time. And you should always 

look for alternatives, never rest, because inaction does 

not lead to progress. I do not wish to give you tips for 

success, nor is there any infallible recipe that, if you 

follow it, will take you high. But surely, if you apply 

the above mentioned words, they will put you in the 

right context. 

In 1974, we entered the medical arena, 

representing and supplying the Greek market with 

German-made dermatological products. With steady 

steps we also entered the field of production of 

pharmaceutical and cosmetic products in Greece, 

watching our whole project grow steadily, guided by 



Nikos 

Papazoglou 

CEO, Pharmex SA 


the principles we set in advance. A milestone 

year was the establishment in 1981 of the 

“umbrella” company, named “Pharmex” 

which today has under its roof 5 independent 

“Societe Anonyme” companies, that entirely 

belong to the Papazoglou brothers. 

“Business” is by no means a simple matter. 

But you need to have a clear mind to overcome 

challenges. Such a great challenge was 

presented when the economic crisis broke out 

in Greece, accompanied with serious shocks 

for the credibility of the country and Greek 

companies in the European market. Hence, 

we saw all of it as an opportunity to open up 

to new ways and markets, by turning to the 

African continent. 

Africa is a long-suffering continent, 

with many potentials. We set up business 

in 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia, where we now 

maintain supply facilities for pharmaceuticals 

and hospital products. In addition, we also 

expanded our business in the food trade 

sector. So, the conclusion that is made from 

this whole course of more than 50 years, is to 

look for new ways, don’t afraid to dare, and to 

contextually adapt to the conditions and needs 

of the market. 

The impact of our corona-virus crisis is 

already taking us into uncharted waters. 

Unfortunately, the European Union has failed 

to recognise the magnitude of the danger and 

to take concerted action, when the problem 

was at an early stage. It seems that long-term 

planning is missing, which is not something 

new. We have seen this, from time to time, in 

our discussions with top officials on the future 

of Africa. And apparently history repeats itself. 

On the issue of dealing with the coronavirus 

in Africa, the European family, which 

borders with the African continent, has limited 

itself to simple wishes. Nothing specific, 

nothing coordinated in action. Again, longterm 

design is missing and support is lacking. 

Of course, one could say that the Union 

remains committed to “its home affairs”. I 

strongly disagree with that. Everyone must 

understand the magnitude of the Union’s 

potential and the responsibility it has taken 

on millions of our fellow citizens. 

All this reminds me of the crude attempts 

by the “Residents of the Commission” to 

resolve the issue of improving people’s living 

conditions, so that they are not forced to 

emigrate. The proposed solution was the 

temporary funding to countries, without a clear 

plan. Any funding granted to individuals simply 

supported the small-scale, local production of 

agricultural products. 

Already as a company, we have worked 

on and published a business plan to support 

local communities by creating a market 

supply and repackaging center of European 

products, having first listened carefully to the 

preferences of the communities. The goal of 

the project is twofold. Initially, the European 

market will be supported, since raw material 

and products that will be processed there, will 

come from Europe. Secondly, the standard 

of living of the inhabitants will rise. Not only 

will they enjoy the benefits of work, but 

they will also have access to high quality 

nutrition products. As a logical consequence 

of improving their lives, their need for 

immigration will be significantly reduced. By 

the way, for your information, there are 3 

independent trade unions in Africa. The first 

consists of 32 countries in Central Africa, the 

second of 5 countries in East Africa, and the 

third of 13 West African countries. Imagine 

the magnitude of the influence of three 

large storage centers, with the purpose to 

promote European products, and also on-site 

packaging of local raw materials. If the plan 

is implemented, it will offer at least 20,000 

jobs there and many other benefits for the 

European products. 

Unfortunately, we have not reached 

to a favorable outcome in the discussions 

regarding the implementation plan of the 

above project. And that’s why we return to 

what was mentioned at the beginning of the 

article. You need to create long-term plans 

in order to render yourself invulnerable, 

when you cannot control events and their 

repercussions. You need planning, to deal with 

the problem in a comprehensive fashion and, 

of course, the desire to come up with solutions. 

The European Union must realize its 

responsibility to the countries of Africa and 

change its course. The corona-virus crisis is 

a first-class opportunity for reorganization. 

We must care for Africa since it has potential, 

yet not through empty funding that has been 

mismanaged over all these years. It is vital 

to support specific business plans that will 

show the way, improve the living standards 

of societies and reduce unemployment. Let’s 

predict and act together before it’s too late. 

99


Green Recovery, Energy Transition and 

Gender Equality: A Triple Target for Europe 

By Daria Nochevnik 

Daria 

Nochevnik 

Co-Founder Women 

in Energy, Climate 

and Sustainability 

Foundation 

Amid the coronavirus induced crisis, 

Europe is striving to keep the 

momentum around the ambitious new 

green growth strategy set out in the European 

Green Deal, paving the way for reaching 

Europe’s climate neutrality and economic 

sustainability objectives. Policymakers are trying 

to reinforce Europe’s climate commitments, 

as green recovery plans are being developed 

both at the EU and at the national level. At the 

same time, there is a growing political will to 

ensure that Europe’s recovery programmes 

address not only the economic dimension, but 

also the social dimension of the transition to 

climate neutrality. The energy sector has been 

undergoing a profound transformation for 

years now, but today the tectonic shifts within 

the sector are coupled with the pressure to 

adapt to a new business environment in times 

of an unprecedented economic crisis and a 

prolonged period of uncertainly. 

What is clear however, is that the current 

crisis may have long-lasting impacts on all 

sectors across the EU economy, including 

that of energy. At the same time, changing 

consumer behavior, rollout of energy efficiency 

measures, as well as the development of the 

circular economy, clean mobility and the bioeconomy 

are set to create new, local, high 

quality employment opportunities. 

Exponential inclusion to meet 

exponential disruption 

The post crisis recovery and the continued 

transformation of the energy sector will inevitably 

have a structural impact on its labour 

market and beyond. Creating a suite of innovative 

solutions and business models to facilitate 

the transition to a climate neutral economy requires 

attracting a diverse talent pool. 

This means that today, more than ever, we 

need to work on developing and harnessing 

talent, not least by way of improving gender 

equality and diversity in the energy sector in 

Europe and the industries that are linked to it. 

The added value which could be brought by 

boosting inclusion in Europe’s energy industry, 

as well as supporting female leadership is clear. 

Gender diverse companies are 70% more likely 

to capture new markets and 75% more likely to 

get innovative ideas to market. 

Apart from that, there is strong evidence 

that firms with women on board tend to 

perform better than those that have less 

gender-diverse boards, and companies with 

more gender-diverse boards tend to have 

higher credit ratings. More specifically, research 

shows that companies with at least 30% women 

leaders end up raking-in 6% higher net margins. 

According to Morgan Stanley’s report “How 

Gender Diversity Enhances Society”, companies 

with a higher percentage of women in executive 

positions have a 34% higher total return to 

shareholders than those that do not. 

Studies also find that a better gender 

balance contributes to the improvement of 

working conditions for both men and women, 

with positive effects on well-being, work culture 

and productivity. 

Mind the gap 

Currently, women represent about 32% of 

workforce in the renewables industry. This 

percentage is only slightly higher a percentage 

compared to n the traditional oil and gas 

industry, where women account for only 22% 

of workforce. The studies carried out by the 

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) 

suggest that women in the renewables industry 

are more likely to be employed in lower-paid, 

non-technical and administrative positions than 

in technical, managerial or policy-making roles. 

What about clean energy innovation? 

Women are listed in less than 11% of 

patent applications related to clean energy 

technologies and solutions. 

When it comes to leadership in the energy 

sector and gender representation in the C-suite, 



Women 

in Energy, 

Climate and 

Sustainability 

(WECS) is 

a public 

foundation 

promoting 

gender 

equality in 

energy and 

climate as 

an essential 

enabler of 

the transition 

towards 

sustainable 

a carbon 

neutral 

economy in 

Europe and 

worldwide. 

the numbers are even more striking. On the whole, the total 

share of women representatives at board level across the 

industry is no more than 7% (compared to 21% participation in 

finance and communications companies). 

These figures are in sharp contrast with the fact that women 

represent more than half of university students, and almost 50% 

the workforce across the world. 

A gender gap in the decision making in energy and climate is 

present not only in the private sector, but also in the public one. 

According to a study which covered 72 countries across the globe, 

women represent only 6% of ministerial positions responsible 

for national energy policies and programs. In Europe, women 

hold about 25,6% of high-level decision making positions in the 

environment, transport, and energy sectors. 

Leading academics in the field point to the “enduring legacies 

of women’s traditional exclusion from the energy sector,” such 

as lack of equal access to information about employment 

and industry trends. Addressing the barriers that women in 

the sector face across the areas of employment, leadership, 

innovation and entrepreneurship will require action across the 

public sector, businesses and academia. This includes boosting 

top leadership commitment to gender equality and equal 

professional opportunities, as well as mentoring and pay equity. 

Universities and executive education providers also have a 

key role to play in addressing the gender equality gap in the 

sector. They are the ones preparing and encouraging women 

to become innovative entrepreneurs driving energy businesses, 

climate initiatives and the policy agenda of tomorrow. 

Way forward 

Navigating the disruption across the economy, leading green 

recovery and accelerating the pace of energy transition in Europe 

will require fully unlocking Europe’s talent and ensuring equal 

professional opportunities for all Europeans. 

The Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, took 

action to address Europe’s equality challenges and mandated 

the development of the EU’s first ever Gender Equality Strategy. 

Building synergies between the upcoming strategy and the 

European Green Deal could be a stepping stone for improving 

gender equality in the field of energy and climate across Europe. 

Policymakers, the private sector and academia would have to 

be mobilised towards this common goal through platforms for 

dialogue and best practice development and exchange. 

Improving gender equality and diversity across the energy 

industry, and the energy and climate policy decision making roles 

can clearly not be a quick fix. But it is a long-term policy and a 

business imperative for Europe in order to deliver just, resilient, 

sustainable and inclusive green growth and to achieve climate 

neutrality. 

4 

WISE (Women in Solar Energy), Women employment in urban public sector, 2017 

5 

Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective, IRENA, 2019 

6 

Ibid. 

7 

International Energy Agency, Gender diversity in energy: what we know and what we don’t know, 2020 

8 

Wood Mackenzie, “Can women speed up the energy transition?” 2019 

9 

Ibid. 

10 

IUCN-USAID, “Women at the forefront of the clean energy future”, 2014 

11 

European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender in environment and climate change 

12 

Bipasha Baruah, Addressing the diversity challenge in energy sector recruitment, 2019 


101


International Education 

and a Pandemic Crisis 

By Patrick van Rooyen 

Patrick van 

Rooyen 

Executive Chairman, 

GoGlobal Education 

While the international press, 

politicians, national leaders and a 

wide range of commentators and 

soothsayers address the issues of the global 

pandemic, an “industry” called ‘international 

education’ appears somewhat forgotten. 

For those severely impacted – students, 

families, universities and educational institutions 

the challenge, is immense. In many cases 

institutions face financial closure, thousands of 

faculty and staff are out of work. Young men 

and women globally face the potential damage 

and collapse of their academic dreams as well 

as extreme cashflow issues for their families - 

an extended yet painful impact of this “virus”. 

We look at the major player in this “industry” 

– the USA. 

Globally, at the end of 2019 there were some 

5.5 million international students, more than 

half of them enrolled in education programs 

in six countries, the USA, the UK, Australia, 

France, Germany and the Russian Federation. 

The USA saw 1.1. million international students 

contribute nearly $45 billion to the U.S economy 

– a 5.5% increase. In the past three months 

universities have closed, international students 

told to vacate their dorms, travel restricted or 

banned, remote learning and online courses 

rushed into place. 

Often forgotten in assessing these 

statistics and grasping the impact of this 

crisis is the prior wonderful global interaction 

of our young people and the positive 

relationships built and nurtured between the 

future leaders of the world. Some 370,000+ 

students from China studied in the US in 2018- 

19 with a remarkable concentration in STEM 

fields. Emerging market countries, Pakistan, 

Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh all showed strong 

growth years. Another 342,000 U.S students 

participated in study abroad programs for 

academic credit, over 60% of these going 

to European countries, the U.K., Italy, Spain, 

France and Germany hosting the most. In 

Greece, numbers grew by 20%+. 

In a best case situation we may see 

improvement in dealing with the pandemic 

within six months, students returning and 

universities reopening. In a worse case situation 

we may not see remedies until well into 2021 

or later. The pandemic has created a major 

financial disaster for educational institutions 

and it would appear we will witness hundreds 

or more closing before the control of the 

pandemic occurs. 

It is necessary to grasp the size of the 

problem to comprehend the resources that 

may be needed to respond to the crisis. There 

are some 5,300 colleges and universities in the 

United States. The Association of American 

Colleges and Universities states that there are 

some 2,600 accredited four-year colleges and 

universities. Most of these are private or part of 

State education systems. Of the nearly 594,000 

reported instructional staff, 154,000 were 

professors, 129,000 were associate professors, 

132,000 were assistant professors, 98,400 were 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

instructors, and 29,600 were lecturers (ncs.ed.gov). How many 

college students are there in the U.S.? In 2018, there were 14.53 

million college students in the U.S. enrolled in public colleges 

and 5.12 million students enrolled in private colleges. Moving 

all those assets into a remote learning/online environment is a 

major challenge, never before undertaken. 

If we then turn to the global picture, moving the world’s 

students online starkly exposes deep inequities in education 

systems; from the shameful number of children who rely on 

school for food and a safe environment, to a digital divide in 

which children without devices or reliable internet connections 

are cut off from learning. In Denmark, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, 

Lithuania, Iceland, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands, over 

over 95% of students reported having a computer to use for 

their work. (Quartz). 

Only 34% in Indonesia did. In the US, virtually every 15-yearold 

from a privileged background said they had a computer 

to work, but nearly a quarter of those from disadvantaged 

backgrounds did not. These divides will likely worsen, as 

staggering job losses and a recession devastates the most 

marginalized in every society, including all their kids. Schools 

face a difficult choice: if they don’t teach remotely, all of their 


students miss out on months of curriculum. If they do, a sizable 

group of already disadvantaged students will be left out and will 

fall even farther behind. 

The OECD is one of many organizations advocating to 

increase access to open free, online educational resources 

and digital learning platforms for teachers and students. For 

schools to succeed, teachers will also need access to training and 

support. The crisis is highlighting the role schools play outside 

of education. 

At a moment when schools need to adapt how they teach, 

many are consumed with how to feed their students. Gwinnett 

County, Georgia, one of the largest school districts in the US, 

is feeding 90,000 students a day. “It’s a prime example of how 

schools have become not just learning institutions, but the heart 

of the social fabric of America,” (Emerson). 

When the storm of the pandemic passes, schools may be 

revolutionized by this experience. Or, they may revert back to 

what they know. But the world in which they will exist—one 

marked by rising unemployment and likely recession—will 

demand more. Education may be slow to change, but the postcoronavirus 

economy will demand it. 

103


Envelopes Resist Crises 

By Matti Rantanen 

Matti Rantanen 

Managing Director 


Federation 

of Envelope 

Manufacturers 

Mail is a thing of the past, some would 

say. In today’s digitalized world of 

instant communication, letters may 

seem superfluous. Think again. Almost half 

of e-commerce packages arrive in envelopes; 

a letter from the bank or national authority 

attracts immediate attention; and a wedding 

invitation received in your letterbox is more 

than just informative – it is a memory to cherish. 

Yes, envelopes bring content that is useful, 

effective and impactful - and they are here to 

stay. 

The first envelopes date back to 3500 BC. 

Now, in 2020, we are celebrating the 200th 

anniversary of industrially manufactured 

envelopes. They are used to transmit personal 

and business correspondence, as well as 

important financial transactions. Information 

on paper delivered by post is inherently more 

reliable. It is not surprising that the world has 

always associated envelopes with trust and 

credibility. 

The envelope industry has of course 

seen challenges. Disrupted economies, new 

technologies and communication channels 

have led to a reduction in mail volumes. In 

Europe, envelope production dropped from 

89 billion to 55 billion in just ten years.But the 

envelope industry is resilient, and ongoing 

challenges and crises like COVID-19 will not 

defeat it. 

Envelope and Corona 

How has COVID-19 affected the envelope 

industry? You have perhaps noticed that post 

and parcel services are busy. Letters sent by 

governments to inform of COVID measures, 

clothes ordered online or cards sent to 

quarantine birthday kids (I am one of them) 

will have reached you in an envelope. 

Behind the scenes, the industry has met 

different challenges – the capacity of some 

production plants has been cut, due to local 

infection levels. In some countries, more 

than 15% of workers are absent because 

of symptoms, pre-existing health risks, or 

family reasons. The industry has also had 

to lay workers off, and terminate temporary 

employees’ contracts. 

The envelope industry traditionally has 

three cornerstones: transaction mail, office 

supply and direct mail. While transactional and 

office supply are largely volume businesses, 

direct mail’s value goes beyond just volume. 

These strands of the envelope industry have felt 

different pressures due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Direct mail marketing has collapsed. As 

shops are not open, companies have cut their 

marketing budgets. Office supply has also 

decreased significantly. Only transactional 

mail has yet to feel the full impact of the 

crisis. The hits have been bearable so far, but 

if the situation continues for long, we will see 

dramatic changes. 

This crisis has also demonstrated the 

danger of relying on digital communication; 

approximately 15% of EU citizens have no or 

inadequate access to the internet. It is therefore 

vital that the EU continues to support the 

universal postal service in every country. It’s 

also worthwhile remembering that privacy 

laws are more strictly enforced for letters 

than email. Citizens can rest assured that their 

correspondence remains confidential. 

There are also positive signs creating 

trust in the industry. For example, in the US, 

more than 15% of total envelope production 

is currently used for medical deliveries. The 

status of the envelope as a communication 

tool has seen a revival in this crisis. In the 

UK, envelope manufacturers have been 

declared system relevant businesses. Some 

EU countries, such as the UK and Finland, have 

sent a corona information letter to every citizen. 

Not surprisingly, my Brussels municipality knew 

that a letter would be a more efficient way to 

inform residents than the varying pieces of 

information online. Governments and local 

authorities choose letter mail, as it is the only 

communication method that reaches everyone 

and has credibility. The opening and reading 

rates for letter mail is 85% compared with 

only 11% for email. These figures pertain to 



SHUTTERSTOCK 

marketing messages, but the ballpark is the same for all general 

communication. 

The envelope industry after Corona 

Despite this massive disruption, the envelope industry will 

remain strong. The world and economy will be different, and 

thus we have to remodel the industry and the markets where 

we operate. 

Transactional mail from governmental bodies and service 

providers will continue. The numbers may decrease due 

to digitalization, but the value and trustworthiness of mail 

communication will not. Our ‘Keep Me Posted’ campaign 

promotes the citizen’s right to choose how they receive important 

information such as tax forms, election documents, bills and 

statements without disadvantage. It is a pro-choice campaign 

promoting the inclusion of vulnerable consumers, consumers 

without internet access, and consumers who simply prefer 

paper. 

In the coming years, the industry will move from envelopes 

towards light packaging. When it comes to material efficiency, 

environmental footprint and durability, the envelope is ideal 

for delivering products weighing less than 1.5 kg. We offer the 

solution to the problem of over packaging, and parcels of less 

than 1.5 kg can be, in most cases, delivered into letterboxes. 

Using more suitable packaging, the efficiency of the whole 

delivery ecosystem is improved. 

Direct mail and marketing will resume after the crisis. One 

of print media’s leading qualities is its ability to command the 

full attention of the reader. With fewer distractions, the reader 

becomes fully immersed – a process that leads to ‘deep thinking’, 

increasing the effectiveness of the content. Recent research on 

the effectiveness of physical and online communication strongly 

suggests that physical material facilitates higher emotional 

processing than digital. New technologies have made it possible 

to enhance visual and sensory paper communication through 

3D imaging, lenticular stamps, ‘scratch-and-sniff’ applications 

and die-cutting. Digital integration offers the marketer a host 

of opportunities to engage with their customers in several new 

and exciting ways. 

The business will change and most likely shift from volume to 

value. But what is sure is that the envelope industry will remain 

a significant part of the global communication and marketing 

ecosystem. 


105


Public Services and Services of General 

Interest on the Frontline Against COVID-19 

SHUTTERSTOCK 

By Valeria Ronzitti 

The COVID-19 outbreak, and the 

response to safeguard public 

health by limiting social life, has 

been one of the most violent shocks in 

recent history. Century-defining, the 

current crisis has already provoked 

impacts for EU societies on multiple 

fronts, and its future developments – 

in terms of chronology, geography and 

intensity – are hardly anticipable. 

The spread of the virus across Europe 

has caused tens of thousands of deaths, 

and many more are still fighting in ICU. 

Hundreds of millions of Europeans are 

currently in lockdown. The economy is in 

slowdown, and the medium-term impact 

is expected to be as violent as the Great 

Depression or the 2008 crash. 

Providers of services of general 

interest (SGIs) and of public services, 

which CEEP represents at EU level, are 

at the frontline in this crisis. With social 

consequences aggravated by its very 

nature, the COVID-19 crisis has clearly 

shown how crucial the provision of those 

essential services is to the well-being of 

citizens and the economic resilience of 

the EU. 

Central in shaping the initial answers 

to the emergency, public services and 

services of general interest must also 

be involved at all levels in shaping the 

medium and long-term visions for 

the post-COVID-19 world, relying on a 

sustainable, digital and fair agenda. 

SGI employers and 

providers at the 

heart of the crisis 

In a context where the threat is economic, 

social and health-driven, the provision 

of services of general interest is even 

more crucial to the well-being of citizens, 

businesses and the overall economic 

resilience of the EU. Services such as 

healthcare, water and energy, waste 

management, telecommunications, 

education and transport must remain fully 

operational in all circumstances, regardless 

of the challenges faced. As providers of 



Valeria Ronzitti 


the European Centre 

of Employers and 

Enterprises providing 

Public Services 

those services and as employers of millions 

of Europeans, SGI providers must first and 

foremost ensure that a sufficient number of 

workers are available to maintain operations 

in safe manner. That of course includes 

putting forward additional measures to 

protect the health and safety of workers, 

requiring further management efforts and 

financial costs. 

Many SGIs also face significant changes 

in their usage. Some sectors, such as 

healthcare, are faced with a sharp upward 

turn in demand. Managing the immediate 

life-threatening emergencies, many 

healthcare structures decided to postpone 

or cancel most of the other services, which 

in most cases constitute a significant 

source of their income. Telecommunication 

services are also in increasing demand, 

and have been mobilizing great efforts 

to ensure their stability and quality. Also, 

the transport sector, and more specifically 

public transport, have had to continue 

operations and run with adapted services, 

such as providing additional services to and 

from healthcare infrastructures, or limiting 

the amount of users per vehicle, inducing 

additional costs and limited incomes. 

Additional crisis-motivated disruptions, 

such as the difficulties to access supplies – 

including protective gear for workers in the 

waste or water sectors – or the sudden drop 

of the prices of EU Emission Trading for the 

energy sector, exercise strong pressure on 

resources to keep activities running. Price 

fluctuations must be closely monitored, and 

no efforts should be spared to guarantee 

that they remain at sustainable levels, for 

the preservation of high-quality efficient 

SGIs. 

A call for actions at EU level 

After the outbreak of the crisis, EU 

institutions quickly acted to allow a genuine 

response to the challenges. Quick decisions 

and the adoption of the temporary 

suspension of the SGP, the SURE, the 

Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative, 

as well as the temporary framework for 

State aid, should help to partly absorb the 

shock. Building up on this initial response, 

Member States should now step up and 

take responsibilities in order to materialise 

solidarity across Europe. 

In times of crisis and uncertainty, EU 

institutions, as well as the leaders of the 

27, should build confidence in the economic 

and political future of the EU. Politics and 

economics are heavily influenced by the 

level of confidence shown by decisionmakers. 

The EU being the best defence 

line to prevent even deeper impacts for EU 

citizens, building confidence as a mobilising 

element should accompany any decisions. 

The EU as a whole needs to share the 

burden: the pandemic hits all countries 

simultaneously and indistinctively, 

regardless of previous economic or fiscal 

policy choices, and any failure in setting up 

burden-sharing mechanisms will put the 

entire EU internal market, and by extension 

the EU project as a whole, at risk. 

The way forward 

Going beyond the immediate emergency, 

EU institutions and Member States have 

engaged in talks aimed at fostering the 

recovery on the medium-term. We believe 

this recovery relies on 2 main pillars: 

- A well-designed Multiannual Financial 

Framework to address the challenges of 

the future, relying on a strong Cohesion 

Policy to help regions most severely hit, 

on an effective digital agenda and on the 

principles of the EU Green Deal, aimed at 

making Europe the first climate neutral 

continent by 2050, as well as on the settingup 

of an investment strategy. 

- A Recovery Fund and an investment-led 

Recovery, Plan based on joint instruments, 

such as recovery-bonds that would allow for 

a genuine capacity of sharing the burden of 

the crisis without implying mutualization of 

existing debts. 

Citizens and enterprises have 

expectations: respecting the lockdowns 

put in place across Europe, they are doing 

their part to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Leaders should now provide security and 

stability to plan for the future, and ensure 

the continuity of our well-being, relying on 

fairness, efficient and effective services of 

general interest, a joint vision for the future 

and well-funded key infrastructures. 


107

FINAL WORD 

Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity 

Welcome to Our new World. Embrace it. 

Jerry Zagoritis 

Founder & CEO of 

Campaign Lab and the 

Publishing Partner of 

“Our World: Struck by 

the Pandemic” 

I 

f our Instagram and Twitter bios are a 

measure of how we self-identify, I’m probably 

an eternal optimist, a disruption enthusiast, 

and an entrepreneur. 

Being an eternal optimist, I can’t help but 

see the best in people and strive to make the 

best out of situations. I see crisis as a blessing 

rather than a curse, and where most people 

see uncertainty, I see opportunity. 

If you can properly phrase a question, one 

said once, then finding the answer is the easy 

part. 

And the question that kept spinning around 

my head since day one of a situation where we 

can’t decide whether we’ve been working from 

home or living at work (I suppose the answer 

here is “we’re probably omni-channel”), was 

rather straightforward: “How do you want to 

be remembered in a year from now?” 

Do you want to be someone who lived 

in fear or someone who lived exponentially? 

The answer was easy but followed by more 

questions. 

“How can you be of service to your clients? 

How can you help your community get through 

adversity? Can you volunteer or donate? 

Essentially, what can you do to play your part?” 

I feel that now is the time for Governments 

around the globe to ask some similar 

questions, starting with “How do we want to 

be remembered in a decade from now?”. 

At the time of writing, entrepreneurs 

around the globe are working around the 

clock to build, restore, relaunch or keep their 

businesses alive. 

And yet, most governments are still debating 

how to break the bureaucratic structures that 

simply drag those same entrepreneurs, who 

are struggling to meet payroll and ensure some 

sort of stability for the next quarters, behind. 

I’m not just talking about the Fortune 500 

businesses. I’m also and primarily talking 

about the small shop owners from Brussels 

to Rome, the farmers from Kenya to rural 

India, the hospitality entrepreneurs from 

Dublin to Athens who form the texture of 

our communities, and the start-uppers from 

Seattle to Berlin and from Helsinki to Tel Aviv, 

many of which are in it because of that burning 

idea they couldn’t get off their heads. 

Yes, I’m talking about the very people who 

are moving our world forward. As they’re 

fighting to keep their businesses running in 

the face of unprecedented disruption, ready 

to embrace risks in order to experience all 

that entrepreneurship has to offer, they need 

Governments to reflect further. 

“How can we be of service to our 

entrepreneurs? How can we help them get 

through adversity? Can we lower or postpone 

taxes and social contributions? Can we 

guarantee loans? Essentially, what can we do 

to play our part?” It’s about time. 

Finally, as a student of disruption, I feel 

compelled to close this edition by writing the 

following. For a long time now I’ve been feeling 

that the way business is conducted in Brussels 

has to change. 

I sense a feeling in town that where there’s 

a market, there will be buyers; and where there 

are buyers there will be business. This is simply 

wrong. 

It is well known that an overly bureaucratic 

system governs the EU, but what people may 

not necessarily be aware of is that the way 

politics, advocacy and public relations are 

conducted in Brussels, is almost as boring. 

It favours lacklustre tick-a-box compliance 

and reporting, where instead there could 

be meaningful engagement, grassroots 

movements and honest relationships. It 

favours top down behaviour in an increasingly 

flat world. And it operates in hierarchies in a 

world of networks. 

It is my hope that this crisis will serve as an 

opportunity to modernise the way business is 

conducted at the European Union’s business 

and political Capital. 

This is the time for consultants to be more 

agile and for politicians to be more result 

oriented. And if they won’t, well… when new 

entrants come to disrupt the status quo, not 

all incumbents are going to survive. 

Welcome to Our new World. Embrace it. 


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We use this space to pay tribute to all the 

heroes, on the frontlines and behind the 

scenes, who have been putting themselves 

and their families at risk, fighting every day in 

the most challenging of conditions to make 

sure that our friends, our family members, 

and our world, survive. 

We also honour the memory of the doctors, 

medical staff, and many other professionals 

who sacrificed their lives fighting this fight, 

and the many victims of this pandemic who 

will be so missed. 

EUR 10

Our World-Struck by the Pandemic

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