Beyond the Peak: GMF Coronavirus Update from Europe

Views from Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom

Speakers

• Sudha David-Wilp, Senior Transatlantic Fellow and Deputy Director of the Berlin office, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs, King's College London 
• Nicoletta Pirozzi, Head of the European Union Program and Institutional Relations Manager, Istituto Affari Internazionali

Moderator

• Derek Chollet, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor for Security and Defense Policy, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

After weeks of soaring infection rates and deaths caused by COVID-19, Europe is slowly moving beyond the peak of its coronavirus pandemic. As patients recover and the curve of new cases flattens, European countries are beginning to think about what comes next. In consultation with its member states, the European Union has offered guidelines for the next phase of the crisis. These aim to ensure that member states' economies are reopened in a gradual, but coordinated way that takes into consideration each country's individual situation and risk, and prevents further spread as shutdown measures are loosened.

Europe's hardest hit country, Italy, has already begun to open some previously closed businesses and is looking to further loosen its policies in early May. Germany is set to reopen many of its shops on April 20 and some of its schools starting May 4. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced on April 16 that current measures would stay in place for "at least the next three weeks." 

Join us for a conversation with local experts to discuss the current political climate in Europe and learn how Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom are preparing for the second phase of the coronavirus health crisis. 

Due to concerns about the coronavirus and in order to enable a wider audience to participate in this discussion, we invite you to join us via webinar. Register here to join the conversation and take part in the Q&A with the panelists.

If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact Itai Barsade at [email protected].