Eurotopics.net

The 27 EU states will discuss the fight against the economic impact of the corona crisis during a video conference on Thursday. Italian Prime Minister Conte is calling for a "joint response" from Europeans including the introduction of "corona bonds". His Spanish counterpart is also calling for joint crisis management bonds and a new Marshall Plan. Germany's Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier, however, has so far rejected such calls.

The region around Croatia's capital was hit by two heavy earthquakes measuring 5.3 and 5.0 on the Richter scale on Sunday morning. Seventeen people were injured and many buildings were badly damaged, including Zagreb Cathedral. Around 1,000 people are not able to return to their homes for the time being, and this is affecting the country's anti-coronavirus efforts. The press has words of encouragement for those affected by the double emergency.

The Summer Olympics slated for August will be postponed until 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was the decision arrived at by the IOC and host country Japan after a phone call between Prime Minister Abe and IOC President Bach. Shortly before the announcement Bach had said that he wouldn't make a decision until mid-April. The press uses the postponement to make fundamental considerations about the Games.

The poor and the rich are not equally exposed to the health, economic and psychosocial impact of the corona pandemic. This applies globally, but also in those countries that are generally considered prosperous. Commentators describe how the state of emergency is pitilessly exposing social inequalities.

In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic many European countries have gone into varying degrees of lockdown. Some states, like the Netherlands and Finland, continue to rely on recommendations and voluntary action rather than force. European media discuss what makes more sense - and what distinguishes a democracy from a dictatorship in a state of emergency.