173rd Bergedorf Round Table

Moving Away from the Abyss:
Towards a Comprehensive European Recovery

online, 20 June 2020

The Corona pandemic has shaken the European Union to its very core. Faced with a cascade of existential challenges, in particular a weakening of the communitarian spirit, deep divisions over fair burden-sharing and new concerns about rule of law violations, the Union met its “moment of truth”. The EU’s crisis has been aggravated by the Corona-induced global economic downturn, increasing deglobalization trends as well as growing geopolitical volatility. Having “looked into the abyss” in the early stages of the Corona pandemic, the member states have moved on to a more concerted crisis management. Yet, the Union still struggles to agree on a common understanding of solidarity in both theory and practice.

The 173rd Bergedorf Round Table explored which political and economic measures should be taken in order to mitigate the impact of the Corona crisis. How do different European actors define “solidarity”? What does it take to uphold and strengthen the credibility of the European project? Which lessons should be drawn from the Corona crisis for the future of the EU?

25 high-ranking politicians, government officials, and representatives of think tanks, academia and media from Germany, other EU member states as well as the European institutions discussed these questions during the 173rd Bergedorf Round Table on 20 June 2020. Against the backdrop of the pandemic situation, the Round Table was held in the digital realm.