Coronavirus Travel Ban: Eurocrat Complains Europe Is Trump’s ‘Scapegoat’, Slams ‘Nationalism’

Tourist wearing a protective respiratory mask tours outside the Colosseo monument (Colisee
ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images
Victoria Friedman

The leader of a left-liberal group in the European Parliament has complained that President Donald J. Trump is treating mainland Europe as a “scapegoat” with the U.S. travel ban.

Dacian Cioloş, the former premier of Romania, is the chairman of the Renew Europe Group in which French President Emmanuel Macron’s progressive party sits.

He tweeted on Thursday morning to complain that the 30-day European travel ban — which excludes the UK and Ireland — would not halt the spread of the deadly China-origin pandemic, of which Italy has become an epicentre, calling instead for “global solidarity”.

He wrote: “Viruses know no border or nationalities. Nationalism and blame games are no antidote. This is a global crisis which requires global solidarity.

“Containment measures are needed, but not arbitrary ones. Europe will be your partner, not your scapegoat.”

While not mentioning President Trump, senior Member of European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt — who calls for a new European Empire — also said this morning that “nationalism isn’t the answer” to dealing with coronavirus, “because viruses don’t care about borders or nationalities” (while human beings who carry viruses certainly can be limited by borders).

“We are all in this together,” Mr Verhofstadt said, adding that “we need a European approach” to dealing with the pandemic.

President of the European Parliament Charles Michel said that the EU will “assess the situation today”, saying: “Europe is taking all necessary measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, limit the number of affected people, and support research.”

President Trump announced the travel ban on Wednesday, saying that travel from mainland Europe will be suspended for 30 days to prevent the further spread of coronavirus. Americans travelling from Europe who have been screened will be allowed to return home.

“The European Union failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hotspots,” President Trump said. “As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travellers from Europe.”

 

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