‘Coronationalism’ vs a geopolitical Europe? EU external solidarity at the time of Covid-19

The ideologically motivated support for loss-making projects during this period was one of the reasons for the high indebtedness of the country in the late eighties. [...] Recently, the Italian parliament has for instance discussed and supported the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on providing Macro-Financial Assistance to enlargement and neighbourhood partners in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. [...] As a result, being the country in which the Solidarity Movement in the 80s was born, Warsaw claims to have a duty to extend its solidarity to neighbouring countries and to support their endeavours to tackle the consequences of the pandemic. [...] For Romania, this should include the adoption at a European level, in the upcoming period, of the documents representing the negotiating frameworks with Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, following the decision to open accession negotiations with the two countries, in the midst of the pandemic. [...] Latin America is now one of the epicentres of the pandemics and this may help Spain to pass on the message that the EU’s global response to the COVID19 should not ignore this part of the world.