The German minister admits: Europe was not prepared for epidemic

In a statement issued on Europe Day, Maas claims that initially, most states, including Germany, were focused on fighting pandemics only in their countries.

While defending the national response as the “needed to ensure our ability to act and then, to help and others”, the head of German diplomacy added to the European Union, has learned lessons and is “improving” after the crisis erupted. The EU has faced a wave of criticism for lack of unity in the face of pandemic. Some said that the “bloc failed to test” in the coronary test and that its leaders failed to predict its arrival and consequences, while failing to perceive also according to these critical voices, that the world's most advanced health systems faced the greatest risk of not coping with the situation.

Maas added however that his country wants the EU to be more powerful when the pandemic has passed. Germany assumes the European Union's rotating presidency on 1 July.