Concluding remarks of Chairman David McAllister at the public hearing „Geopolitical implications of the COVID-19 crisis“

“Dear colleagues, dear guests, I would like to thank all of you for your contributions and inspiring discussion. I think it is fair to say that the current crisis will have lasting effects on the geopolitical environment.

The EU needs to continue supporting rules-based international cooperation and multilateral solutions. The current crisis is a wake-up call for multilateralism, and a chance to push for much-needed reforms of multilateral cooperation. To achieve this goal, the EU needs to become more geopolitical, more strategic in using our political and economic leverage.

The EU was formed by different crises and came out of them stronger and more resilient. This crisis shows us that only by coordinated action in Europe and globally we stand a chance of fighting the pandemic and the far reaching consequences. It reminds us of the fragility of the global system, but it also gives us a unique opportunity to revive international cooperation and make the EU stronger and a more relevant global player.“