CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 02/2020

LE MONDE COMMENTARY
Aerial view of an offshore
crane crude oil drilling platform
at night while prices fall.
Historic bronze statue of
Queen Elizabeth II on a
horseback.
navirus pandemic. Brent crude fell to $22.58 (£18.19)
a barrel at one point in March, its lowest level since
November 2002.
Meanwhile, the price of US West Texas Intermediate
(WTI) fell below $20 a barrel and close to an
18-year low. Oil prices have fallen by more than half
during the past months as companies cut back or
close production. In addition to the drop in demand,
a price war broke out earlier this year between Saudi
Arabia and Russia. (cf. bbc.com). Even after a new
agreement to cut the world’s production – there is no
light at the end of the tunnel.
Not only the economy is paying the price, but also
sports and cultural events felt the impacts of Covid-19
with all the hardness.
What great events we were looking forward to
seeing this year! Let’s start with soccer: the UEFA announced
the postponement of its flagship national
team competition, UEFA EURO 2020, which was
due to be played in June and July this year. “The
health of all those involved in the game is the priority,
as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure
on national public services involved in staging
matches. The move will help all domestic competitions,
currently on hold due to the Covid-19 emergency,
to be completed”, UEFA announced. Other
big events – like the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 –
were postponed for the first time in their history. Its
Opening Ceremony will now be held on 23 July
2021. The EXPO 2020 in the United Arab Emirates
was also postponed to October 1, 2021 to March 31,
2022– still at Dubai. And the list of postponed international
events is long and to be continued.
During the past weeks of hardship, shortly before
Easter, Queen Elizabeth II of England addressed her
people via television. Her Majesty held one of her
rare speeches which turned into one of the best and
most watched ones. The monarch thanked her people
for following government rules by staying at home
and praised those “coming together to help others“.
She also paid tribute to key workers for their efforts.
BBC News broadcasted the speech as many other
TV stations around the globe and gave a summary
on its homepage: “It was only the fifth time the
Queen has given such a speech in her 68-year reign.
The Queen said the UK “will succeed“ in its fight
against the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking from
Windsor Castle, the Queen said the pandemic was a
“different“ challenge compared to what the nation
had faced before. The message ended with the words
‘We will meet again‘ – an apparent reference to Dame
Vera Lynn‘s bolstering war anthem ‘We‘ll Meet
Again‘, as BBC reported. Dame Vera Lynn, who is
still alive and 103 years old, was ‘delighted‘ that Her
Majesty mentioned her song at the end of her speech.
Metro.co.uk was quoting Lynn: “I watched the
Queen’s speech with the rest of the country and indeed,
the world, and it was wonderful. I didn’t know
that Her Majesty was going to finish up with the
words “We will meet again”, but I think those words
speak to the hope we should all have during these
troubling times. I hope everyone will feel encouraged
by Her Majesty’s words, and that we can all continue
to work together to get through this“, Lynn
added.
Both, the Queen and Lynn, went through and
survived WW II and yet gave us hope that also Covid-19
will be conquered one day. Hopefully, those
days will come as soon as possible since what we are
witnessing now, is no real comfort. Maybe the whole
crisis should also be a warning for human mankind
to be reminded of the really important facts: Life is
short and should be seen as a gift as we don’t know
what will happen tomorrow. And it might be a good
opportunity to take care of people who really matter,
friends and family, the beloved ones. The days during
Corona will not be like the ones before Corona
– so let’s summon all positive energies and make the
best of it!
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48 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2020