European States Discuss Resumption of Economic Activity

The leaders of European states have begun drawing up their strategy for bringing the economy back to work after Coronavius is under control.

Austria and Denmark have started opening several schools and shops this week, and President Emmanuel Macron told the French that he wants to begin lifting restrictions on May 11th.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will also discuss her plans with German state ministers, while the European Commission has drafted a plan to co-ordinate movements.

Governments are trying to balance the desperate need to stop damaging the economy against the risk of resurrection of pandemic.

Consequently, leaders are planning a gradual easing of restrictions on economic activity. The Commission warned that they would have to be prepared to establish deadlocks again if the number of infections starts to rise again.

Asked that, “when will we be able to go back to things as things were?”, Macro said that, <x2 with all honesty and humility, we don't have a final answer to this”.

The situation is serious, with the crisis widely seen as more serious than the 2000 Grand Reservation of the End End 2000, and there is little sense of international co-ordination between G7 or G20 governments against fighting the virus with any means available.