Do you know why the French chose the rooster as their national emblem?
Because this is the only bird that manages to sing while standing with both feet in the shit.
A bit rude, but this French joke about themselves is a very accurate answer to the remark of the European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton.
He continues to sing that everything is good in Europe, that it will cope with the pandemic itself without external help, as if there was and is not a third, and in some places even a fourth wave.
As if the next general quarantines, lockdowns are not introduced in the countries, when everything is closed except for groceries, only the wind walks on the streets.
With what envy Europeans look to the east!
They do not believe their ears when they find out that both in China and here, in Russia, many restrictions have already been lifted.
Cafes and restaurants are open, theaters are packed, cultural life is back on track.
One of my acquaintances, a musician from Belgium, cried that they were simply left there to fend for themselves.
It is especially difficult for young people: for more than a year there has been complete silence in the professional sphere and dim prospects.
The numbers in the kingdom have crept up again, so much so that schools were almost closed two weeks before the long Easter holidays, which, by the way, everyone will spend in Belgium - residents are not allowed to travel outside its borders.
In Poland and the Czech Republic, life came to a standstill.
In France, quarantine has been introduced in 16 departments.
But all officials, young and old, stubbornly avoid this word.
So it's at least a little psychologically easier.
But they themselves are already confused about the requirements and papers to fill out, which are either introduced or canceled.
And they are waiting for the effect of vaccination, they plan to open whole vaccination centers under the mass vaccination campaign.
The "Velodrome" in Marseille has already been re-equipped, and now the famous "Stade de France" in Paris is next in line.
In the meantime, less than two and a half million people have received both injections.
President Macron calls up daily with European Commissioner Breton, who on the air of the French TV channel promises to provide the country with 350 million doses by the summer.
According to him, the factories are working around the clock, increasing production - and he controls everything personally.
The task of establishing European production was entrusted to this Frenchman for a reason.
He is one of the 200 most successful managing directors in the world, ranked 62nd.
He pulled companies out of gigantic debts, made them profitable.
And not once or twice.
A businessman, a financier, but also a Frenchman.
And here is an important nuance.
France still does not have its own vaccine, but Russia does.
The pride of the country’s son Pasteur is hurt.
That is why he attacked "Sputnik V", dismissively saying that Europe does not need it, we ourselves, they say, can handle it.
And in general, these Russians have "terrible production problems."
The EU will, of course, generously help them, but not all of a sudden, not now, and not in the first place.
Then, closer to the end of the year, on occasion, one or two factories from the lordly European shoulder may come, but it will be visible there.
And how did his cheeks not burst from such conceit?
Breton's logic is understandable.
He is responsible for the domestic market, and therefore zealously protects it from any foreign competitor.
Now it is divided between four approved and, importantly, produced in the EU vaccines.
Superfluous competitors - mouths claiming this cake - he does not need.
The logic of an ordinary businessman, which in the current sanitary realities looks well, simply indecent.
It is clear that sooner or later Europe will be able to arrange its logistics in such a way that enough doses will be produced.
But this is a matter of time, and time is now working against people.
Every day, each new case of the disease can turn into another tragically interrupted life.
At the same time, the massive influx of patients is still drowning hospitals, overwhelming intensive care units, and falls on the shoulders of already exhausted, exhausted doctors.
All this leads to new restrictions, new economic problems.
The more vaccines available and the more people get vaccinated, the better it is.
That is why many European leaders are already openly opposing the bureaucracy in the EU and are demanding from the drug agency an expedited approval procedure for any available and effective vaccines, including Sputnik V.
How all together sneezed the Hungarians when they decided to buy vaccinations on the side.
They reprimanded that they dared to look to the east, and not just to the west.
And now they want to do the same.
The Germans openly threatened: if there are any unjustified delays, they will also follow the path of unilateral purchases, without waiting for the approval of the European regulator.
There they already understood the hints, they decided to send a group of specialists to Russia in April so that they could study the production process on the spot and prepare the necessary documentation.
In this case, if everything goes according to plan, the permit may be issued as early as May.
For our country, of course, it is better and more correct if the Europeans will not so much buy our vaccine as produce it at home.
The Germans, the Spaniards had such plans, the Italians had the specifics.
The plant in Bergamo is ready to provide its capacity, will be launched in July and will be able to produce about 10 million doses by the end of this year.
Belgium has also shown interest in the joint production of a Russian vaccine.
In the Charleroi region, the Walloon company is also creating facilities with an area of 1 thousand square meters.
m. Commissioning of the object is scheduled for the summer.
Negotiations are already underway with her to make our Sputnik V at this plant as well.
Why European Commissioner Breton chose to ignore all this is a mystery.
Probably, all the same pride did not allow him to notice his failures.
After all, one of the problematic points is the shortage in Europe of previously ordered vaccines from the same approved four.
Take AstraZeneca, for example.
They promised 90 million doses, but only 30 million will be able to be shipped. A third.
How can you make them?
Europeans are now thinking of taking out an ax and chopping off all the channels for supplying this vaccine outside the EU.
Italy was the first to do this in relation to Australia, but now the rates have increased, the same measures are threatened already at the European level.
The plant, which operates both for the domestic market and for export, has the misfortune of being in the Netherlands.
Brussels threatens to block supplies to the British, London accuses Europe of vaccine nationalism.
In general, they fight, swear and pull the blanket over themselves.
They also say something down to us about problems.
One must envy in silence.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.