Covid-19: can Europe exist beyond its economic ties?

The Covid-19 crisis has emphasised weaknesses in the EU decision-making process. We analyse the deadlocks in the post-Covid recovery process

The European Union has evolved since it started as a purely economic agreement after World War II. European integration progressed and common socio-political objectives were formed, which went beyond its initial economic role. However, the Covid-19 crisis has emphasised weaknesses in the decision-making process in the EU and cast doubt on whether this socio-political pact can continue to prosper.

“United in Diversity”

For European unity to prevail in the decisions on commonly developed, socio-political issues, there needs to be a common European identity across member states. The EU itself is aware of this, considering that the largest part of the 2021-27 budget has been invested in cohesion, resilience and values. The EU motto of ‘United in Diversity’ was readjusted by President Ursula von der Leyen to become ‘United in Adversity’. However, these optimistic slogans do not make up for the lack of European identity amidst the paradox between a cooperative Union and the glaring mistrust the pandemic has exposed. In 2018, more than two-thirds of Europeans felt as though they were ‘EU citizens’. Today, this feeling of unity has declined in 14 states. This identity crisis was not solely found in EU citizens, but in the subsequent relationships between member states, which led to deadlocks at the European Council’s July summit. While these were temporarily overcome, their occurrence raises the question as to whether European solidarity can be achieved in deciding on a common direction to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.

This unity is essential, as the EU itself is built on common principles which cannot survive without it. The pandemic has created unprecedented hurdles in making uniform decisions based on these founding concepts, such as the Rule of Law, which guarantees fundamental rights and the application of union law. Member states, such as Poland and Hungary, are questioning the need for states to observe the Rule of Law in receiving EU funds through its Covid-19 recovery package. This exposes a significant deadlock in EU decision-making, as the Rule of Law does not cover areas which fall within the sole competency of the member states. Therefore, the EU, despite its overall strive towards common socio-economic goals, cannot decide on all aspects reaching beyond the economy. This lack of uniformity in decision-making challenges whether the ultimate goal of European integration – to ‘create an ever closer union’ as per Art 1 TEU – is ultimately possible.

The European integration

An instance of Covid-19 jeopardizing the Rule of Law is the lack of consistent application of Freedom of Movement, another founding concept of the EU. Destined to limit the spread of the virus, the member states adopted a Council Recommendation to coordinate measures affecting free movement. A conundrum is clear, as the Recommendation leaves member states the prerogative to set restrictions for people travelling from all but ‘green’ areas into their territory. The non-legally binding nature of the recommendation signifies that political contingency is not abated, as there may be twenty-seven different approaches. Thus, disunity is clear by the overruling of a principle initially construed for the purposes of integration and creation of the aforementioned ‘ever closer union’.

European integration, which has previously allowed the EU to go beyond the economy, is thus being impeded by the instability of the founding EU principles. The unprecedented and varied impact of Covid-19 across member states has exposed the deadlocks in the EU being able to make uniform and consolidated decisions when faced with a crisis. A lack of European identity alongside unavoidable Rule of Law breaches could well demonstrate that the resolution for these deadlocks might depend on a robust Rule of Law Conditionality instrument being developed in accordance with Article 7 TEU. This raises the question as to whether the EU is truly ‘United in Adversity’, or whether European solidarity on common socio-political objectives is a thing of the past.