What Macron's COVID infection means for EU leaders
Barbara Wesel
December 18, 2020
French President Macron has contracted COVID and is self-isolating. But what will happen to other EU leaders who also attended last week’s Brussels summit?
Image: Kenzo Tribouillard/AP/picture alliance
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It was not immediately clear where French President Macron contracted the coronavirus. But one possibility could be during marathon talks last Thursday and Friday at a European Union summit over the bloc's budget and climate targets. If that's the case, it would be a worst-case scenario for the summit organizers.
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Sufficient safety measures?
Since the onset of the pandemic, European Council staff has done its utmost to reduce the risk of heads of state and government contracting or spreading the coronavirus. Masks are mandatory, social distancing is enforced and delegations have been reduced to an absolute minimum. Decision-makers are now limited to five advisers. Handshaking has been substituted with touching elbows, bowing and other greetings.
"All hygiene standards were met during the summit, we have no information about other attendees or aids having tested positive," one European Council spokesperson has said. President Macron could have, however, infected some of his fellow decision-makers. He had a one-on-one meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the summit.
Coronavirus: Politicians who've tested positive
French President Emmanuel Macron is the latest top-tier politician to come down with a case of COVID-19. He's the latest among several, perhaps unsurprisingly given politicians' busy schedules and frequent travel.
Image: Olivier Hoslet/REUTERS
Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the virus on December 17. Following the diagnosis, he canceled all of his upcoming trips, including one to Lebanon, and said he would self-isolate for seven days. French Prime Minsiter Jean Castex was also set to isolate after coming into contact with Macron.
Image: Olivier Hoslet/REUTERS
Andrzej Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda tested positive for coronavirus in October, as the country was facing surge in new infections. Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalist Law and Justice Party, was "feeling fine" at the time of the diagnosis. The day before officials announced his infection, the number of new cases in the country of 38 million hit a daily record of more than 13,600.
Image: Reuters/A. Szmigiel
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, who once said COVID-19 tests were "beautiful," tested positive for the coronavirus, along with his wife Melania, soon after senior aide Hope Hicks also contracted the virus. The infection came less than a month before November's presidential elections in the US.
Image: Doug Mills/abaca/picture alliance
Ambrose Dlamini
Prime Minister of Eswatini Ambrose Dlamini died at the age of 52 after contracting coronavirus. He was the first sitting leader to succumb to the virus.
Image: RODGER BOSCH/AFP
Valery Giscard d'Estaing
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing died aged 94 on December 2 after contracting COVID-19. During his rule, he legalized abortion and brought the country high-speed trains. He also promoted cooperation among European nations, especially in tandem with the former West Germany, forging a strong rapport with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
Image: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images
Silvio Berlusconi
The 83-year-old former Italian premier tested positive for the virus and is believed to be asymptomatic, his party announced on September 2. Two of Berlusconi's children as well as his 30-year-old girlfriend are also COVID-19 positive. The ex-premier tested positive after vacationing along Sardinia's coastline, where Italy's rich and famous have been known to flaunt mask policies.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Vojinovic
Jair Bolsonaro
Brazil's president, who has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the pandemic, contracted the virus in July. He was criticized for ignoring the safety measures recommended by health experts both before and after his diagnosis, including shaking hands and hugging supporters in crowds. His wife and sons also tested positive.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. Peres
Boris Johnson
In late March, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came down with a coronavirus infection that landed him in the hospital for several days. Johnson spent a week at a hospital in London and three nights in intensive care where he was given oxygen and observed around the clock. He was released in mid-April and credited hospital staff with saving his life.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/S. Dawson
Michel Barnier
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, tested positive for the virus in March. The top Brussels official sent out a tweet in English as well as French saying he was doing well and "in good spirits." He added: "I am following all the necessary instructions, as is my team."
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
Alexander Lukashenko
Belarus's embattled President Lukashenko told military officials on July 28 that he had survived an "asymptomatic" COVID-19 infection "on his feet," days before his contentious re-election. The claim met skepticism given its timing. He initially dismissed fears about the pandemic as a "psychosis" and went as far as suggesting cures such as drinking vodka, taking saunas and playing ice hockey.
Image: picture-alliance/Russian Look/V. Listsyn
Jeanine Anez
Bolivia's interim president Jeanine Anez announced on July 10 that she had the virus. "I feel well, I feel strong, I am going to keep working remotely from my isolation, and I want to thank all the Bolivians who are working to help us in this health crisis," the leader tweeted at the time.
Image: AFP
Juan Orlando Hernandez
The president of Honduras spent time being treated at a military hospital after falling ill with coronavirus in June. He received specialized care including receiving medicines via an intravenous drip. His wife and two presidential aids also tested positive. Hernandez left hospital in early July after his symptoms improved.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Martin
Alejandro Giammattei
The Guatemalan president told local radio on September 18 that he had tested positive for the virus. The 64-year-old, who has multiple sclerosis and uses canes to walk, said his symptoms were mild. The government said Giammattei plans on monitoring his health and continuing official duties from isolation.
Image: Johan Ordonez/AFP
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was flown to Germany hospital for treatment after contracting the virus. The 74-year-old looked haggard and spent in his public appearance 47 days after testing positive.
Image: Ryad Kramdi/AFP
Luis Abinader
Luis Abinader, the newly elected president of the Dominican Republic, tested positive during his election campaign. He recovered before the July election and spent one week in isolation.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Barria
Jens Spahn
German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who has led Germany's fight against the pandemic, tested positive for the coronavirus in October and had "cold-like symptoms." He went into immediate isolation and soon recovered. Despite a couple of self-isolation scares for Angela Merkel and other ministers, Spahn remains Germany's highest-profile political case to date.
Image: Daniel Karmann/dpa/picture alliance
Not an exhaustive list
This gallery does not include all major politicians who have contracted the coronavirus. Others, such as Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, are just some of the other top politicians who have contracted the virus.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
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Merkel, however, is known to take social distancing seriously and wears FFP2 masks, which are considered very safe. The German chancellery recently reported that Merkel has tested negative, wishing Macron a speedy recovery.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, meanwhile, have gone into quarantine in their respective home countries and are working remotely. Costa, who will take over Germany's EU Council presidency in January, had met Macron for lunch during last week's summit. Naturally, both removed their masks during this shared meal.
Technically, anyone who was physically present in the EU Council building should instantly begin contact tracing. Yet across the bloc, the rules and practices of contact tracing differ. Thus far, it has not been possible to establish a common framework. Moreover, some decision-makers are more cautious than others. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who attended last week's summit, on Thursday made it known through her spokesperson that she had tested negative on Monday and would therefore stick to business as usual.
Numerous leaders, including Marcon, were present at last Monday's Paris summit celebrating the anniversary of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who attended this gathering, is now in quarantine. As is European Council President Charles Michel. In October, von der Leyen and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin were forced to self-isolate after it emerged that they had been in contact with infected staffers.In September, Michel had to postpone a summit for the very same reason.
Angela Merkel is known for taking COVID precautions seriouslyImage: Francisco Seco/AP Photo/picture alliance
Virtual talks
In theory, EU heads of state and government could have agreed in spring to negotiate only using video conferencing tools. During these online talks, however, decision-makers were found to be reading from pre-prepared speech notes. Without the possibility of bilateral meetings during summits, and with all conversations being recorded, the odds of producing real, tangible results are diminished.
A breakthrough on EU climate targets at last week's Brussels summit was only achieved because various heads of government spent hours in talks with Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki. After taking his concerns into consideration and much convincing, he was eventually persuaded to vote with his fellow EU counterparts.
Intense, face-to-face talks similarly helped overcome a roadblock regarding the planned EU budget. German Chancellor Merkel deployed her excellent negotiation skills to reach a compromise with Poland and Hungary so that the bloc's budget could be agreed and billions in emergency coronavirus funding paid out. July's four-day marathon talks over the coronavirus recovery fund make clear that face-to-face negotiations are very effective.
The same can be said for Brexit talks. Virtual negations have proven relatively ineffective. That is why EU chief negotiator Barnier and his British counterpart David Frost — both of whom recovered from respective coronavirus infections over summer — agreed to resume face-to-face talks. Direct negations are especially desirable as the deadline draws closer.
Coronavirus restrictions have made it particularly difficult for journalists to go about their work. Since the onset of the pandemic, press conferences and confidential one-on-one talks have been moved to the digital realm. This has led to spokespersons selectively picking which questions to answer and provides little scope for journalists to pose follow-up questions. Without the possibility of meeting on the sidelines, chat in the lobby or over coffee, journalists are out of the loop.
EU to roll out vaccination program
Incidentally, the EU Commission announced Thursday that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will make a decision regarding the BioNTech-Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on December 21 — and that an EU-wide inoculation program could be rolled out after Christmas Day. The delivery of doses, from the Belgian Puurs production site, in particular, is expected to commence December 26.
If the virus continues spreading at this pace, infecting citizens and decision-makers, Europe could become practically ungovernable. Normality will only be restored once heads of government, their staff and ministers are vaccinated. The next six months will be busy for the EU, after all. The bloc's economies need to be restarted with EU funding, and a policy on refugees must be resolved. As such, it would be very helpful if leading European lawmakers could soon resume face-to-face talks.
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