EU countries step up ‘solidarity’ in fightback against critics

Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, from the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said the EU needed to make up for an initial “chaotic and unco-ordinated” pandemic response in which some member states “showed a lack of solidarity with Italy”, Europe’s worst-affected country.

“This has created an opportunity for Eurosceptics to reinforce their narrative of the EU doing too little too late,” she said. “It has also offered an opportunity for third countries to fill the gap.”