13 May 2020
"As the European Union struggles to agree on a joint response to the coronavirus crisis, calls for solidarity are colliding with the reluctance of wealthier northern states to come to the aid of struggling states in the south.
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And yet, these so-called northern frugals — which includes Germany and the Netherlands — seem perfectly content to finance autocratic, anti-democratic governments in Hungary and Poland.
This hypocrisy — claiming “moral hazard” when it comes to Southern Europe, but continuing to shower generous subsidies on governments flouting democratic values — is sending messages that could undermine European integration for a generation.
If the EU wants to come out the other side of this pandemic stronger and more united, its leaders urgently need to reverse course and show more solidarity with those struggling most to cope with the consequences of COVID-19 while standing up to the autocrats it has been appeasing."
The EU is undermining its democracies while funding its autocracies (Politico, link)
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