A surgical mask and microscopic images of the new coronavirus overlay a 100 euro banknote. As it tears EU economies apart, the COVID-19 pandemic is also helping unite the bloc's formerly fragmented governments.
The coronavirus outbreak is ravaging Europe’s economy by simultaneously bringing production, consumption, investment and trade to a near halt. But the pandemic is also helping freeze the Continent's political crises by forcing governments to unite against the escalating existential threat. Europe's political tumult, however, will return once the immediate contagion has abated. And several countries, in particular, will see a combination of financial and legislative fragility that will limit their ability to deal with the enduring economic repercussions . COVID-19: Political Stability's Unexpected Ally Several EU countries started the year with minority governments, caretaker administrations or unstable coalitions that the coronavirus crisis has since made much more resilient: Italy Before COVID-19 was detected in Italy, tensions between the country's coalition partners — the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party — were on the rise over issues such as the annual budget and reforms of the criminal justice...
