In countries that were hit during the euro crisis, such as Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal, the spending of the European corona recovery funds is going well. When you talk to people involved in allocating and spending those funds – €800 billion in grants and loans to help European economies recover after the pandemic – you hear that regularly. In Athens or Lisbon they are used to getting money in exchange for reforms. This kind of interference is nothing new in ministries in these capitals. Countries that had to make drastic reforms during the euro crisis are even anticipating this. Their project proposals are often detailed, because they know that is what Brussels wants. If European officials have criticism, which is often the case, that criticism is processed and Kees is done.
These kinds of insights into European cuisine show how quickly relationships within Europe can change. And how much we have to be careful with clichés and harsh opinions about other countries. Before you know it, reality will catch up with you again.
Of course it also works the other way around. Proposals from northern countries for the spending of corona funds are often shorter and less concrete. When Brussels asks for extra details, or guarantees that these reforms will actually come about, the northerners sometimes react somewhat stingingly: what is Brussels getting involved in? During the euro crisis, they were the ones who made demands. As lenders, they turned dots and commas into Greek or Portuguese reform plans. They determined which laws had to be changed, and how. Now they sometimes find it difficult to be in the role of receiver and to receive criticism. Some of their projects are therefore more difficult to get off to.
Relationships between EU countries change very quickly: see Poland
Poland also shows how quickly the position of countries in Europe can change. A year ago the country was totally marginalized. The feud with the EU over the rule of law poisoned everything. Polish influence in Brussels declined in various fields, including foreign policy. Everyone walked around the country with a bow, waiting for better times. Now, because of the war in Ukraine, Poland is back. Relief supplies, weapons, foreign visitors, refugees – everything that has to go to or from Ukraine goes through Poland. Even in the area of the rule of law, Poland is making concessions. Not enough, but the movement itself is interesting because it shows that things never stay the same in Europe.
The position of the Netherlands in Europe, which has been hit harder by Brexit than other EU countries, has also changed in recent years. Without powerful British liberal friends, things had to change radically in The Hague. These days, the Netherlands is building coalitions, even with countries with which it barely did business in Europe in the past. This is bearing fruit: if EU countries want to push or block something in Brussels, they often call The Hague after Berlin and Paris.
Europe is in constant transformation. The losers of the previous crisis can be the winners of the following: southern countries are less affected by the energy crisis than we are and are growing faster. Sweden and Denmark, who for decades were mainly for the ‘market’ in the EU, are now also looking for more coverage on the continent in the political and security field.
During the euro crisis, when there was a deep divide between north and south, some predicted that the eurozone would split into a ‘neuro’ and ‘zeuro’. During the refugee crisis, East and West collided. Now that Central Europe is hosting millions of Ukrainians, the discussion is changing completely.
Thus, every crisis in Europe produces a fracture and then a scar, on top of scars that were already there. This scar tissue sometimes “pulls” (feuds are rarely forgotten), but it is also flexible and more solid than many people think. Because today you fight with country X over fish quotas, but tomorrow you need X in your fight against country Y over gas prices or new state aid rules. Everyone knows that. That is how it works. Good thing, too.
A version of this article also appeared in the December 24, 2022 newspaper
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