Which world do we want after COVID-19?
(EurActiv, 16 Apr 2020) The coronavirus crisis has caused a lot of suffering and uncertainty, but its aftermath offers us an opportunity to break with old habits and build a circular, sustainable and highly competitive economy, write Frans Timmermans and Bertrand Piccard.
Frans Timmermans is the executive vice-president of the European Commission. Bertrand Piccard is the founder and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation. EURACTIV is exclusively publishing the English version of this Op-Ed.
The coronavirus crisis is not over yet and a lot of people are suffering: those who have contracted it and their families, the healthcare workers on the frontline of the battle, workers losing their jobs, the self-employed and small businesses facing an uncertain future, and stock markets plunging.
For many, this is a terrible time.
Right now, our focus should be on fighting the virus while ensuring that we keep our economy and financial system afloat. However, as we emerge from the immediate crisis, we will need to reboot our economy as quickly as possible, getting production lines up and running, with people back to work and earning incomes again.
That leaves us with a choice: desperately fight to get back to what we had previously or try to reach a much better situation.
EurActiv, 16 Apr 2020: Which world do we want after COVID-19?