European solidarity in response to the pandemic urgently requires a political embodiment. New financial measures and innovative financing tools will be insufficient to win back the hearts and minds of EU citizens. In this op-ed, Thierry Chopin, Sébastien Maillard and Nicole Koenig call for a stronger political dimension including the activation of the solidarity clause, a Franco-German impetus for a broader solidarity coalition, a political face for the EU’s corona crisis response and more strategic communication and action to counteract attempts to discredit the EU in the global battle of narratives.
Dr Thierry Chopin is the special advisor at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris.
Sébastien Maillard is the director at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris.