Ivaylo Ditchev: The Return of European Borders

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Coronavirus has not only paralyzed globalization. The pandemic has also shown the extent to which a united Europe is fragmented. And not only when it comes to borders, but also relationships between generations and classes.

The most fascinating realization related to the coronavirus pandemic is how easily borders can be re-erected. Perhaps the situation is best described by a metaphor from the virtual world: one by one, European countries raised their "firewall" with a mouse click. Because tourism is dead, trade has ceased, stock exchanges are losing trillions, and globalization is paralyzed, writes Ivaylo Ditchev / Deutsche Welle.

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers returned to their homes in Bulgaria, Serbia, or Romania. But there they were met with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the slogan "bring our children home" has been a constant mantra for decades. Let everyone be where they belong! On the other hand, there are no jobs for the returnees, especially not in this time of crisis, and remittances from workers abroad will be sorely missed by national treasuries.

The welcome ceremony in the homeland also includes the sad ritual of quarantine, accompanied by a feeling of confinement and inability to move. A feeling that is well known to many who grew up behind the Iron Curtain.

Brain Drain Continues

Meanwhile, medical staff have been exported to the West to help countries like Austria or Great Britain. Some consider this scandalous, especially now during the coronavirus pandemic, while others say that Eastern Europe is not affected by the pandemic to such an extent anyway, and that this is a moment to show solidarity (and possibly for medical workers to send some euros home).

New borders between East and West have also given rise to a medical dimension. According to one theory, there is a possibility that the tuberculosis vaccine, which was mandatory in socialist countries, now protects against coronavirus. Research is currently being conducted on the differences between the former German states, West and East. On the other hand, one could cynically say that the new infection is the price for better healthcare systems in the West, which have resulted in longer life expectancies. Both Italy and Spain record both the longest life expectancy and the highest coronavirus mortality rate.

Paradoxical Rise in Popularity

Populists like Trump, whose policies are based on the anti-globalist "raise-borders" ideology, are celebrating. Others, like Orbán, are using the corona crisis to consolidate their authoritarian rule. But surprisingly, all politicians are gaining popularity, regardless of whether they are managing the crisis well or not: Merkel, as well as Trump, as well as Conti on one side, and Moon Jae-in on the other. We all know that in times of crisis, citizens support leaders. This support will disappear with the crisis.

But it seems that borders also exist within countries. Racist prejudices against citizens of Asian origin in the West seem to be a prelude to what could follow. In Bulgaria, those who demand that Roma be confined to their ghettos where the infection is growing (which is untrue) are becoming increasingly vocal. As always, the racist discourse is combined with pseudo-scientific arguments. If this really happens to the Roma in Bulgaria, it is expected that other Balkan countries will follow this example.

In Search of Scapegoats

Similarly, the former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini blames immigrants from Africa, although it is well known that the pandemic spread through tourists and global elites, not through poor citizens confined to their homes. The name of the infection is stubbornly used from the "common man" to the White House and implies ethnic origin: the "Chinese virus" is the fault of our enemies, those who eat bats and have nothing in common with our culture.

But the most dangerous invisible borders are drawn between generations. The disease painfully pits the young against the old, as if the latter are the only ones at risk of infection. We hear that the global economy is being threatened by measures to save those who are already doomed to imminent death. Wouldn't it be better to lock up all the elderly in separate places so that the rest can create "herd immunity"?

Renewing the Intergenerational Contract

Such decisions currently seem morally unachievable. However, they call for the renewal of the intergenerational contract. Ethical considerations face the challenge of brutal quantitative data. Healthcare costs for citizens over 65 are three times higher than for all three other age groups. In addition, the elderly pose a risk to pension systems because fewer young people are replacing those who are retiring. Low birth rates are also due to the baby-boom generation, which is particularly evident in Eastern Europe.

Some even speak of a time bomb amounting to 400 trillion dollars, which is the estimated global shortfall by 2050. This bomb could destroy the economy as we know it today.

Class Conflicts in Sight

And the conflicts do not end there. We could witness growing class conflict between the rich and the poor. Tensions between industrial and developing countries. Between democratic and authoritarian parties...

Borders are suddenly abundant in Europe. Can we hope that they will disappear overnight just as they appeared?