Provocative indifference of the EU towards the tragedy unfolding in Italy

Subject: Provocative indifference of the EU towards the tragedy unfolding in Italy

Every day, the world looks on as the tragedy caused by the coronavirus pandemic unfolds in Italy: hundreds of people are dying every 24 hours and thousands are becoming infected while the consequences for the economy are incalculable. What is shocking, however, is the fact that Italy is fighting this battle alone, unassisted by the European Union, which has not afforded it the slightest help. ‘Italexit already exists, the coronavirus has opened our eyes, we are isolated within the EU’ is a phrase that is constantly used by Italians on the social media, views that are echoed in the press. While Germany and France are sending protective masks and medical equipment to Iran, they have refused to help Italy in its time of need. On 12 March Italy was condemned by the EU for providing EUR 13.5m in financial assistance for Sardinia's tourism sector, but the State has not recuperated the money.

In view of the above, will the Commission say:

1. What long-term measures will it take to support Italy but also Spain, which are badly affected by the pandemic?

2. What is the reason for this lack of solidarity that endangers the future of the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Gentiloni on behalf of the European Commission

(14 August 2020)

The pandemic constitutes an unprecedented challenge with severe socioeconomic consequences. After too many looked out for themselves at the very beginning of the crisis, it was not long before Member States started to show solidarity among each other. Millions of masks have been sent from Germany and France to Italy. Italian patients recovered in German hospitals and Polish and Romanian health workers helped in Italian hospitals.

The Commission has defined solidarity as the main response to this crisis and left no stone unturned to help the most affected countries, while coordinating a European response to the crisis, using all available tools. These include (1):

— Temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) (2), worth EUR 100 billion in total,

— Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives, mobilising EUR 54 billion,

— Guarantee Fund of the European Investment Bank of EUR 25 billion, that will support up to EUR 200 billion of finance for companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

On 27 May 2020, the Commission President unveiled a recovery plan worth EUR 1.8 trillion made up of the budget and the Next Generation EU Recovery Instrument, aimed at protecting lives and livelihoods, repairing the single market and building a lasting recovery. On 21 July 2020, the European Council reached a political agreement on the Commission’s proposal.

The scale of the proposal illustrates the Commission’s resolve to mitigate the economic fallout of the pandemic, especially in Member States most affected by it.

⋅1∙ For more information on the measures initiated by the Commission in order to mitigate the impact of the crisis please refer to :

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_459 ⋅2∙

https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/support_to_mitigate_unemployment_risks_in_an_emergency_sure_0.pdf