Time for new international collaboration?

I think the corona crisis should be handled on a federal and supranational level.

First of all, there is no denying the big need for action to fight the effects of Covid 19. Separate states within the US and individual countries within Europe are all taking stringent measures. Some have already had a noticeable effect, whilst others seem to have less effect on first sight.

Furthermore, there seems to be no harmonization. For example, the state of New York and California are taking severe measures, but what’s the use if the other states are keeping things loose? Those 2 mentioned states aren’t isolated islands. Infected patients can still cross state borders and spread the virus. You could see the same problem last week in Europe with Belgian tourists visiting the Dutch border municipalities whilst the Belgian bars and shops were closed.

Another noticeable problem is the lack of clear instructions from a higher authority. This is not a state or a country’s problem, it is an international problem. Federal and international collaboration are needed here and now! Of course, in contrast to China or Russia for example, Europe and the US are decentralized governments. But in these exceptional times I really think the EU or even NATO should have executive power and be able to take control in this “state of emergency”. Of course, only for a short time and only concerning Corona related issues.

In conclusion, to me it’s clear there should be a better interaction between all governments on different levels.

I got inspired by the following article for this blog post:

https://www.ft.com/content/aecee1ec-6ad0-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75