Il mondo del dopo-Covid è già qui…

The COVID-19 pandemic will magnify pre-existing dynamics that are already at work, namely a relative slowdown in globalisation trends and the contestation of the neo-liberal paradigm; the difficulty in creating effective multilateral governance; and the tension between centrifugal and centripetal forces within the EU. The pandemic lays bare the need for greater diversification of imports of essential goods (such as medical equipment and meds), shorter value chains and a stronger oversight role by the state in ensuring a balance between industrial-financial interests and public health and safety. Multilateral cooperation is as necessary as, alas, currently lacking, most notably due to the growing antagonism between the US and China. This is one more reason for the Europeans to show greater cohesion. The EU should reduce its dependence on third parties, protect key sectors of its economy, extend its normative power to new technologies and pursue a leadership role wherever there is a deficit of multilateral governance.