A Litmus Test for the EU's Longest Year: Solidarity Principle and Challenges by COVID-19 in 2020

Abstract

Solidarity is one of the oldest but still ambiguous principles of the European Union (EU). In the year 2020, COVID-19 took its place among many other previous litmus tests over solidarity. Initial reluctance of European instutions and lack of effective joint counter-disaster mechanisms, to cope with the unprecedented social and economic devastation caused by the pandemic, triggered once more a wave of harsh criticism of solidarity principle. Although the pandemic did not reach to its end, and it is still too early to measure its overall results in the EU, the article asserts that, a positive tendency for European members’ adherence to solidarity principle is on rise.

Keywords

COVID-19, EU Solidarity Principle, EU Policies Combating the COVID-19, Crisis Management, Solidarity in the EU

Citation

Piril Akin Ocak and Cagri Erhan, “A Litmus Test for the EU’s Longest Year: Solidarity Principle and Challenges by COVID-19 in 2020”, Uluslararasi Iliskiler, Vol. 18, No. 71, 2021, pp. 21-43, DOI: 10.33458/uidergisi.947511

Affiliations

• Piril AKIN OCAK, Ph.D. Candidate, Ankara University, Department of EU and International Relations, Ankara
• Cagri ERHAN, Prof. Dr., Altınbaş University, Department of International Relations, İstanbul