A long-standing journalist and observer of Reuters, Mr Jakša Šćekić, says the European Union, EU, won’t give up on the Western Balkans despite the coronavirus pandemic, all the chaos and the growing impact of China. Germany’s EU presidency gives hope that Europe will manage to consolidate and respond to challenges that lie ahead.
“As for the world, we see that the United States is facing certain problems, especially President Trump. The coronavirus might affect his term. If the U.S. records high death toll from the virus, Mr Trump will face problems, and the same will happen if he doesn’t stimulate the economic growth. As for the global center of power, I can see it’s gradually shifting to China – the China that caused all this mayhem by hiding the facts about the coronavirus.”
ALL EYES ON ANGELA MERKEL
As for the EU’s response to the pandemic, first, we faced panic and then followed measures, closing everything, introducing distance, and now it’s hard to go back to normal life.
“In all that mess caused by the novel coronavirus, Croatia’s EU presidency went almost unnoticed. They were presiding over the EU in the midst of its greatest crisis – the greatest one in Europe since the World War II. Now everybody’s waiting to see what will happen on 1 July when Germany is taking over. It’s fascinating how Ms Angela Merkel, being a scientist, approached this whole situation. But Germans are generally well organized and responsible.”
He wouldn’t be surprised if the people of Germany ask Merkel to stay for one more term.
CHINA’S IMPACT ON SERBIA IS MASSIVE
China’s impact on Serbia is rather obvious and it should serve as an alert to the EU.
“The Chinese, looking 100 years into the future, pushed the Russians as well as the EU, out of Belgrade. Because when the crisis reached its tipping point, when there were no ventilators, disinfectants and everything else, the Chinese came, brought in the equipment and experts. The EU’s assistance came later, but the time played a crucial role in the fight against the virus. While Europe was taking its time to organize, China came in faster and did it in a second for Serbia.”
Citizens of Montenegro proved to be responsible; the govt showed they were capable of managing the crisis
“In such a delicate situation, your government managed to make a balance between life, death and economy, by creating its own model – something between the total isolation, curfew and the Swedish model. It provided good results, as we can see, thanks to the timely reaction and the responsibility of citizens as well,” Mr Šćekić underlined.
Montenegro is now facing a great problem – how to revive the coronavirus-hit tourism industry.
