Eurotopics.net

Only a minority of European countries are still relying on recommendations and voluntary social distancing measures in the corona crisis. Most have implemented varying degrees of lockdown and in many cases declared a state of emergency. Commentators warn against the erosion of the rule of law.

The leaders of the G20 states have agreed in a video conference to invest 4.5 trillion euros in the global economy and expand production of medical supplies. Appeals to show greater solidarity with the countries of the Southern Hemisphere, however, were left unaddressed. Commentators push for concrete action.

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.