Foreign policy consequences of the COVID-19 crisis

I am convinced that we should stand up for fostering the European Union’s strategic autonomy, for promoting multilateral solutions and for defending our interests in a spirit of solidarity.

We are all currently witnessing that the COVID 19 pandemic will lead to more than just medical, social and economic changes.

It will also be a potential geopolitical game-changer. To name only a few examples: The deterioration of democracy and fundamental freedoms in many parts of the world, increasing disinformation campaigns as well as Cyberattacks and isolationism instead of multilateral cooperation.

As European Parliament, we should make clear that unprecedented global threats arising from the pandemic call for strong and coordinated measures.
I welcome that in the weeks and months to come, all the committees for external policies in our Parliament want to focus even more on our global response.

With today’s debate, the upcoming hearings as well as the reports the respective committees are working on, we can highlight the importance of the foreign policy dimension for the fight of the global pandemic, we can provide input to further strengthening the EU’s foreign policy and to the update of the EU Global Strategy and we can send a strong signal of solidarity with our partners across the world.