EU summit on vaccines, Draghi: "Accelerate to slow down the race of variants"
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February 25, 2021 It is a first time, not a debut.
Mario Draghi sits at the table of his first European Council via videoconference, in the midst of a pandemic that has held the entire continent in check for a year.
He has been prime minister for only two weeks, but with many of the leaders at the table, starting with German chancellor Angela Merkel, he worked as president of the ECB when the emergency was economic.
In the 'curriculum'Draghi has the "whatever it takes" to save the euro.
Now we must "do everything" to speed up the mass vaccination campaign, to slow down the run of the Covid variants and weaken the third wave.
Only with vaccines will life be able to resume and the economy to restart, it is the guiding star that guides the former central banker as President of the Council: Europe, he invokes, must act quickly and united, with coordinated and transparent action .
Draghi arrives at the EU summit after preparatory talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, as well as with the leaders of the European institutions.
Vaccines are the cornerstone of the two days of work, but there is also European foreign policy, starting with the Mediterranean.
The strengthening of the European defense policy is discussed and Draghi brings to the table the support for a push line for greater synergy with the administration led by the new American president Joe Biden, "met" last week by videoconference on the occasion of the G7, for the relaunch of the transatlantic agenda.
The Italian premier is the new face at the table of leaders, after the sudden change of government.
Those who attend the videoconference speak of a warm welcome, despite the greetings from a distance and a tour of the table that does not leave much space for face to face talks and informal exchanges.
Draghi collects the solidarity of his colleagues for the attack in Congo in which an ambassador and an Italian Carabiniere died.
What unites those present at the table is the concern for a pandemic that is raging and a vaccination campaign that does not take off.
The new government is trying to give a boost, both in terms of vaccine production and their use, by giving priority to the first doses.
But Europe is needed.
This is why Draghi immediately tries to gamble on the credibility capital, accumulated over the years at the ECB, to solicit a collective push to make up for lost time.
Hard line against defaulting pharmaceutical companies, common export protocols, do more on procurement, production and distribution, but also on transparency and data sharing.
The Italian premier tries to give his push and does not show shyness as a novice when, compared to the slide on the deliveries of vaccine doses of the second and third trimester, shown by President Ursula Von der Leyen, he points out that they are not reassuring because they do not give certainties.
The line promoted is concrete but also realistic: Italy supports Covax, the tool for global access to Covid vaccines, but notes that there would be a credibility problem with European citizens if donations were started at this time. where EU countries struggle with vaccines.
Macron and Merkel, who immediately strongly expressed to Draghi their desire to work together for the revival of Europe, agree on the need to equip themselves with infrastructures that allow vaccines to be produced in a stable manner, to face this and any future pandemics. .
The Italian Prime Minister assures that Rome is committed not only to the immediate response, but will also contribute to the long-term global response to new pandemics in the "Global Health Summit", scheduled for spring co-organized with the European Commission in connection with the Italian presidency of the G20.
Von der Leyen: target to vaccinate at least 70% of the EU adult population
By the end of February, a total of 51.5 million doses of anti-Covid vaccines will have been delivered in the EU, while 29.17 million have been injected so far (18, 2 million first doses and 9.8 million recalls).
These are the data shown by the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen to the EU leaders, during today's videoconference, informs the chief spokesman Eric Mamer, via social network.
The vaccination rate in the EU so far is 8% of the adult population, with 5% having received the first dose and 3% having also obtained the second.
The goal is to vaccinate at least 70% of the EU adult population, that is 255 million people (out of 365 million).
License sharing
"I am in favor of a voluntary license sharing scheme" to ensure the necessary production of vaccines, "some companies are already collaborating with each other."
This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at the end of the European Council, stressing that a collaboration of this type will also be important to be able to cope with the mutations of the virus.
First agreement on vaccination passes but there are still knots
"We have discussed vaccination certificates but there are still pending political issues and also scientific issues".
Thus the president of the European Commission .. "Israel's data are promising - she added - and in the end it will be decided in every single country", also specifying that "there is an agreement in principle".
Michel: “Difficult next weeks on the vaccination front”
"I think we have to tell the truth: the current situation is actually difficult".
Thus the President of the European Council Charles Michel in a press conference, after the first day of videoconference by the members of the European Council.
Michel then said: "And we know that the next few weeks will remain difficult on the vaccination front, but at the same time I also want to give a message of hope and optimism. Because we have clearly seen this in today's debate, we have the means, we have the resources, we have the capacity to succeed in the coming months in ensuring that the European Union plays a key role - not only for Europe, but also at the international level - in ensuring that we can get out of this crisis ".