Strange as it might seem, I believe the EU is more united over its current problems than it has been for years. Ursula VDL seems to have done the impossible by uniting nearly every member state against her and the European Commission. Herr Scholz and spokespersons for most countries were quick to blame her and the Commission for the EU's vaccine problems. Not only was the decision to take over the procurement of vaccines entirely hers, but she also carries the can for the Art.16 shambles. So worried was she that the UK would been seen to gain an advantage that she was prepared to go to extreme lengths to prevent that possibility, and even that failed.
EU countries are almost unanimously horrified by the behaviour of VDL and the EC and even the predictable rantings of French Europe Minister Clement Beaune that France and other states are not prepared to risk the lives of their citizens like the UK is doing are unlikely to persuade member states that the EC has been anything but totally incompetent. VDL called a conference to whinge that the UK had only got a head start over the bloc in the vaccine roll out after "compromising on safety and efficacy” and that leaving it late was the right decision. But she has convinced nobody and there is a growing demand for her to resign.
From the UK's point of view, it makes you wonder, if the Commission is prepared to go to these extremes to discredit the UK, what it plans to do to us when this furore has subsided? It is currently openly undertaking a crusade to damage the UK's finance sector by refusing to grant equivalence. Makes you wonder what's next.
