Vera Yurova believes that control over the implementation of the restrictions imposed is important and that “democratic balance” is urgently needed.
Most EU countries have significantly restricted the rights of their citizens in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, which in the absence of control threatens to weaken Western democracies. This was stated by the Vice-President of the European Commission (EC), European Commissioner for Transparency Vera Jurova in an interview published on Monday to the German edition of Die Welt.
“So far, 20 EU countries have adopted some kind of emergency laws to successfully fight the coronavirus crisis and be able to introduce necessary measures, such as movement restrictions”, – she recalled. According to her, such steps could weaken democracy, “so control is important now” over their implementation and there is an urgent need for “democratic balance”.
“Coronavirus should not kill the democratic order”, – warned Yurova. She said the EC monitors the measures in the EU countries and studies whether they violate democratic values. – “If it happens, we will intervene”, – assured the European Commissioner.
The EC deputy head also touched upon the Hungarian parliament’s decision to give Prime Minister Viktor Orban extraordinary powers in the conditions of the pandemic.
“I have doubts about the time frame and effective parliamentary control”, – Yurova said. She promised that the EC will closely monitor how the law will be applied in Hungary in practice.
Caution of Gabriel and Fischer
Former German Foreign Ministers Sigmar Gabriel and Joschka Fischer warned in an article for Der Tagesspiegel on Sunday of the threat of EU collapse due to the consequences of the coronavirus crisis. “Europe has faced the most serious test since the end of the war”, – said the former ministers. In their view, citizens, in light of the EU’s inaction, could lose “faith in the feasibility and credibility of the European Union.
“Misses are now being made in the fight against the virus. If this goes on, the EU could fall apart”, – said Gabriel and Fischer. – “Countries such as Italy and Spain will not forget Europe and, above all, us Germans for 100 years if we leave them to their fate. This is exactly what we are doing now”, – the former ministers stressed.