Eurotopics.net

Barely two months have passed since the first Sars-CoV-2 infection was discovered in Europe. In the meantime the virus has turned everyday life upside down and threatens to have disastrous economic consequences. Governments are responding with aid packages and discussing Eurobonds. But for some commentators, this does not go far enough.

After a long wait, Vladimir Putin announced measures to curb Covid-19 in Russia in a televised address on Wednesday: the whole country will be given a week's holiday on full pay, subsidies will be allocated to the the socially weak and businesses and the constitutional referendum scheduled for April 22 will be postponed. Commentators doubt that these measures will suffice.

All over the world curfews and business closures are posing a challenge for society. Many people are showing solidarity with others in new ways: doing shopping for people they didn't know before and offering words of encouragement. At the same time there is growing distrust of those who - actually or allegedly - break the rules.

Despite a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the US, President Trump has said he wants to ease the social distancing measures soon, arguing that a recession would kill more people than the Covid-19 pandemic. "We can't let the cure be worse than the problem," he said in an interview with TV channel Fox News. Is he right?

Sweden is has struck out on a path of its own in the fight against the pandemic: under the 'administrative model', the government is relying directly on the expertise of key authorities. And so far they have stressed the need for a moderate response. Borders and elementary schools will remain open, no curfews have been imposed, and only the seriously ill are being tested. But with the number of cases rising sharply, critical voices are growing.