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Ventsislav Bozhev
22.12.2020, 18:33
Just as a Christmas present, the first vaccines arrived in the feeble hope that we could soon deal with COVID-19, and news of the new strain of the insidious virus came from Britain.
Thus, Europe closed its borders again.
Without further information or confirmation, more than 30 countries around the world have decided to stop all arrivals from the UK.
Of course, Bulgaria joined this list, following the example of the others. However, our rulers decided to apply stricter measures and were quick to cut off those going to Great Britain.
Let the Bulgarians think about it, they have decided to return to Bulgaria a little earlier for the holidays, and then go back to work. Many of them support their relatives here with their income, and how and when they will return to the UK is a question that still has no answer.
But their troubles can seem like a storm in a glass of water amid all the chaos the London government has created in recent days.
The lack of communication between Boris Johnson’s cabinet and Europe regarding the new strain is more or less the reason for the situation., that many have already interpreted as the first test of the final Brexit.
The fact is that this strain has been known since September and British scientists have been in contact with their counterparts in Europe. However, the information that it is 70% more contagious, for some reason, is not clear outside the island.
Therefore, Johnson’s statement on the difficult situation with the rapid spread of the virus caught European leaders completely taken aback and off guard.
Of course, they hastily decided to reinsure themselves with measures against Great Britain. Perhaps somewhat justified by the still ongoing criticism that the EU reacted too late and hesitantly to the COVID threat on the eve of the first spring wave.
The problem is that this rapid and almost radical reaction from Europe towards Britain at the moment mainly fuels further the chaos facing the country.
Queues of people in stores and fear of food and medicine shortages, whether due to the current EU lockdown or possible no-deal Brexit, create additional tension for the already nervous situation with the new strain of infection.
And as we have all learned well in the last few months since the start of the pandemic, in such crises, rumors and panic can be even more dangerous than all real problems.
Consciously or not, the British government has failed to warn of the new danger. It is very likely that Johnson will decide at some point to use this as an excuse for a possible failure of the Brexit negotiations, as well as his apparent overall failure to deal with the pandemic. In any case, these are bad options.
Europe’s actions, for their part, are making the situation even worse. A strong border closure and a practical blockade of Britain would only help Boris Johnson get his tough Brexit early, something that will not be helpful in this crisis for either Britain or the EU.
If it wants to avoid this catastrophic situation, the EU must take a balanced approach that takes into account both the nature and the unpredictability of the British Prime Minister and the new strain of the disease, regardless of their specificities.
Without Brussels taking hasty and ill-considered measures that can only lead to more fear and chaos.
Otherwise, the rest of the Bulgarians in our country, who cannot return to the Island, will find that the current situation is only the smallest of their problems.
