Fascinating article at The Coffee House by Prof. John Keiger, a high-powered swot on French history and international studies. In it, he spells out the colossal pressures now being exerted on the European (dis)Union)! Not the least of these will be the dispute over debt mutualisation as many of the Med nations sink into an even deeper trough of indebtedness as they try desperately to deal with this 'plague'. Naturally, they will look, and appeal to, wealthy Germany for mutual assistance in the spirit of EU harmony.
What is the German for "Good luck with that one"? After all, it was the Germans who turned down requests from their beleaguered 'partners' (Who sniggered?) for supplies of medical face-masks and suchlike when this plague first kicked off! As Prof. Keiger suggests, the blatant failure of the EU to live up to its ideals will provide an enormous boost to anti-EU parties throughout Europe. The French, naturellement, believe that all European crises eventually lead to even closer unity. We shall see what we shall see!
Maybe that should be "Wither Europe".
Posted by: Uncle Mort | Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 17:04
Spot on, 'Uncle Mort'!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 17:38
A week or so ago, the Italians sent an urgent plea for medical supplies to Brussels(Berlin). I see if media is to be believed, Russia is offering them help.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 17:55
Vlad's trying to look superior and as if everything's normal in the Motherland to impress the Ivans for the "eternal elected dictator" / putsch vote in mid-April.
I'm just waiting for Ms Sweaty McWhinge to close the border with England as an FU gesture to England. Unfortunately she hasn't even managed to close the doors of her own pubs yet! ...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5412675/greenock-pub-cheers-nicola-sturgeon-coronavirus-scotland/amp/
If she doesn't shut the boozers perhaps England should close the border to stop any southbound super-spreaders?
We can manage without whisky but how are they gonna cope without the zillion quids worth of London wedge to which they are routinely accustomed?
Hopefully she'll end up going down with Salmond (in the legal sense) and be off the scene in due course.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 20:33
Whitewall the Italians need a wee bit of help. If the Russkies do it then that is a fine thing. The Italians are a family oriented people. They go out late for dinner with the whole family including Granny and Granda. I was lucky enough to go to Sorrento and dined on a family run boardwalk. The family got together during lunch and left the wine available for guests to help themselves on an honesty basis. A fine people. They are not all Mafia.
Posted by: Glesga | Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 21:21
I have no idea what the French believe. But I have English and French friends in Normandy and Britanny and I don't think they believe anything the Parisians say.
Posted by: Backofanenvelope | Monday, 23 March 2020 at 10:04
Jimmy far too much of Western culture has embraced "woke" politics and identity politics. PC kills, multiculturalism kills and Italy was evidently eaten up with all of it and now look at them. The Italians were so afraid of being called racist and xenophobes that they lost their common sense. One mayor in a display of mindless virtue signaling even proclaimed a "hug a Chinese day" in response.
Posted by: Whitewall | Monday, 23 March 2020 at 11:53
Well, I know a couple of Chinamen, I'll hug them for you all.
Posted by: Andra | Tuesday, 24 March 2020 at 06:16
All Chinamen are instructed to start hugging, Andra, didn't you hear?
Nut hugging you, or even themselves, but to hug the communist party!!! ...
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/10/asia/china-coronavirus-propaganda-intl-hnk/index.html
China's Communist Party wants more gratitude for its handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking Friday, Wang Zhonglin, party chief of Wuhan, the virus-hit capital of Hubei province, said that people in the city -- much of which remains on lockdown -- were not appreciative enough.
It is necessary, Wang reportedly said, "to carry out gratitude education among the citizens of the whole city, so that they thank (President Xi Jinping), thank the Chinese Communist Party, heed the party, walk with the party, and create strong positive energy."
By George and all the Saints, there's nothing like a crisis to revert folks to type: first Blitz spirit now this.
Coming to a town hall near you, Capt Mainwaring?
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 24 March 2020 at 09:11
SoD, the Chink authorities are doing exactly that..reverting to type: Lenists. Though there has never been any reverting as that is always their type. Too much of Western media is eating it up. They seem as giddy as they were before the USSR fell. China deserves scorn and condemnation.
Posted by: Whitewall | Tuesday, 24 March 2020 at 12:14
Of course the first high temperature and dry cough casualty is you know what. Like that's gonna happen in our lifetime now! (No gloating ... Ed).
Actually Ed, part of me is quite disappointed. Watching Blighty disappear up its own Jacksie in a blithering technicolour cluster fk of self-imposed blue, yellow and red socialism would have given me cause for much deep and prolonged mega-gloating!
Instead the whole cataclysm of the fate of the UK economy will be blamed on C19, which will mean the B16 lurgy will never be stamped out. Herd immunity will be never be achieved.
And here's the punchline: In order to leave the EU, Blighty will have to remain and enjoy the state limiting, prosperity bearing, and wealth creation properties of Maggie Thatcher's legacy: the single market and the four freedoms, until such a time as it can attempt Hari-Kari again!
Like the idiot who tried to commit suicide: shot himself in the head and missed his brain by two foot - gets helped off the deck and promptly reloads and has another go!
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Wednesday, 25 March 2020 at 08:11
Ooh, now here's a thought ( No, it overwhelmingly isn't ... Ed).
As we know, the "Will of the people" - dread words! - has been diametrically opposed by parliament both ways since 2016: First it remained when 52% voted leave, then it Brexited when every poll in the last two years voted remain, a perfectly out-of-phase representation of the "Will of the people" - dread words!
But, given the "Will of the people" - dread words! - as expressed in the most recent polls of the last 2 years is remain, and, we are about to lose the wrinkly Country-Bumpkin voters in greater numbers than the opposite, is it not imperative that we have another referendum and make it mandatory that parliament follows the result of the "Will of the people" - dread words! - of the majority that is for remain and will be given the younger more euro-centric profile of the survivors?
If you don't even have a majority in the land of the living why should you have a mandate from beyond the grave?!
Hehehe!
Makes you wonder if it was a remainer virus spread by Junck-the-Drunk?!
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Wednesday, 25 March 2020 at 08:33
You could still end up with lots more socialism. Now that Charles, Prince of Wales has got the bug it's going to seem more real to a lot of people, especially if he croaks. Over the next 2-3 weeks it's likely most people will know someone personally who has gotten sick. Not only old people are dying over here. There's still too much that isn't known to make predictions.
Once people fully understand how BoJo made the situation worse, it probably won't go well for conservatives.
Over here some of our conservatives are trying to make a case we should sacrifice ourselves for the good of the economy. I would cordially invite anyone who believes that idiocy to go to a newly reopened bar or restaurant and lick the doorknob on the way in.
Posted by: Bob | Wednesday, 25 March 2020 at 14:10