EESC info

I didn't find it particularly difficult to stay at home during the lockdown. There were a number of things I'd been putting off doing for years. So I had the chance to get down to them and was glad to be able to sort them out. The family photos and mementoes that I'd collected from our parents' houses were all mixed up, so I sorted through them. Putting them in order like this was very emotional. I kept myself busy with activities I'd missed, such as handicrafts, baking, cooking, making traditional Greek liqueurs, jams and preserves - things I don't normally have the time for when I'm trying to keep up with the hectic demands of my job.

On the other hand, I have to say that I really missed the children because they don't live with us. Our younger son would pass by beneath the balcony so we could see each other from a distance, which was hard and brought home how much we were missing out on. I stayed in touch online with my son in England. But we felt the need to contact each other, even though only online, more often than before.

I have the feeling that we gradually began to remember some of the values we had forgotten, such as showing solidarity, saying hello to the people who live next door but who we would forget to greet, smiling from the balcony to someone passing by on the street below. With the pandemic, feelings we had actually forgotten about resurfaced. We had forgotten to feel gratitude. We had been taking our health for granted. In 2020, we could never have imagined that a virus would do so much harm, that it would take loved ones away from us, that in a neighbouring country there would be such a high death rate, so many human lives lost. It all makes you think a bit differently, take a closer look at your basic life values.

The pandemic has thankfully also made us realise the overriding importance of science in our lives. We need to start a discussion to see which countries have been the most affected and why, looking into the role of populism and conspiracy theories, not to mention the anti-vaccination movement, in these countries. The acceptance of and trust in science on the part of politicians and the public has protected some countries, such as Greece. I think we also need to start a discussion about the role of the church, the media and prominent public figures during the pandemic.

It is very significant that in all countries the value of national health systems emerged, since more recently, in the wake of globalisation and society's emphasis on ways of generating wealth, we have woken up to the fact that some services cannot be delivered under a profits-based approach. We had neglected national health systems and came to understand how they need to operate, not just in the event of a pandemic, but always. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all those who were on the front line in spite of all the difficulties facing national health systems.

I would like to add a few words on the subject of consumers. Unfortunately in many Member States, due to the pandemic, there was a deterioration in standards of consumer protection, especially for passengers/travellers. Although the relevant EU Commissioner issued a recommendation to Member States not to suspend legislation protecting consumers in respect of flights, package tours and transport, many Member States unfortunately went ahead with the suspension. So instead ofbeing able to get our money back when we cancel tickets, they are giving us vouchers - valid for 12 to 18 months - which are not even guaranteed in the event of the company
we are travelling with filing for bankruptcy. If we do not use the vouchers within the time limit, then we will be able to get our money back. This amounts to interest-free borrowing on the part of the travel companies at the expense of consumers, who have also been affected by the pandemic. I know of people who do not need their vouchers as there is no way they will be using them in the next 12 to 18 months (e.g. school trips for children
who finish secondary school this year). And yet for 12 to 18 months, the parents of these children will have provided an interest-free loan to anyone involved in organising these trips. It is unacceptable for consumer rights to be curtailed.

Moreover, as we are living in a digital era and have all been working from home, making much more use of the Internet, there have been many more cases of online fraud, as well as far more widespread dissemination of fake news, including alleged conspiracies.

What we do need, on the other hand, is to ensure that workers continue to enjoy their acquired rights when teleworking. One issue worth looking into is how teleworkers' performance is calculated, how it should be assessed, and in any event we need to examine working relations under teleworking conditions.

Another very important parameter that the EESC has started to use - one for which the EESC president, Luca Jahier, has already voiced his support on Twitter - is the proposal by the Greek prime minister calling for joint procurement on the part of the Member States of vaccines, therapeutics, medicines and diagnostic tests, so that no Member State is left without supplies that are vital for human life.

This is an initiative that needs to be taken up by the EESC as a whole, in the form of an own-initiative opinion, in order to be absolutely certain that all Member States have equal access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. I would like to say that it gave me great pleasure to present this proposal both to our president, Luca Jahier, and to the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), and both agreed to support it.

It was the 80th anniversary of the end of the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland. The national commemoration was cancelled due to coronavirus, but bells were ringing at 11 a.m. in all Lutheran, Orthodox and Catholic churches across the country. I went outdoors to listen to their chimes and saw Helsinki almost desolate.

The Winter War lasted 105 days - and so did my self-isolation, which began on its anniversary. Even though I enjoy my own company, isolation was sometimes tough. I then asked myself: my parents coped with the appalling conditions of the war, my father fighting on the front at 30 degrees below zero and my mother at home alone with a new-born baby, what do I have to complain about?

Actually I was lucky, as I was able to go out at any time. And I made use of this opportunity by walking hundreds of kilometres - mainly along the coast.

My background organisation followed the situation in enterprises very closely and provided the government with proposals on how to save businesses and jobs. The short-term outlook was very gloomy, and the future is still blurry. But when company leaders began to plan the necessary measures to enable a responsible exit, a new hope started to emerge.

Together with colleagues, I prepared the proposals of the EESC's Employers' Group on tackling the coronavirus crisis: how to help European businesses survive and retain jobs, and how to boost the recovery of the EU economy. Thanks to digital tools, my work at the EESC continued almost normally despite the exceptional conditions. It was nice to see my library soon become one of the meeting points for my colleagues from all over the EU.

The lockdown also brought me something new at a personal level. I had the honour of becoming a remote muse and receiving poems – each more delightful than the last. I would like to share one of them with you to illustrate the spirit of encouragement and support that I hope we can all offer to each other:

I don’t offer a weekday, I offer Sunday.

I don’t offer everyday chores, subjects of big efforts.

I offer Sunday, with its high sky that carries over the everyday life.  

(freely translated from Finnish to English)

I work for the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), and at the beginning of the pandemic we worked very hard to secure food supply.

At LRF we have a scheme for farmers in need. If a farmer falls ill, there are groups that can help take care of animals or deal with other practicalities during their illness. The scheme was quickly set up back in March.

LRF has also been helping businesses match job-seekers and farmers short of labour – for example, a vegetable producer offered to employ people from a nearby hotel that had closed, and there are many other examples. Thanks to initiatives like these, and the fact that many seasonal workers from other countries could come to Sweden, the farming and forestry sectors, which initially were short of staff, have now more or less secured the workforce they need.

Many farms, especially vegetable producers, have had to change crops this year, and forest producers have had to postpone certain activities. However, overall the agricultural sector (including horticulture) seems to have been less severely affected in Sweden than in many other European countries.

However, our organisation feels strongly that we need to extend our solidarity beyond the farming world, and one very practical thing we were able to do to help was donate plastic sheets from overhead projectors in our Stockholm office to make protective visors for health workers.

Personally, I feel very fortunate. No one close to me has fallen ill with COVID-19.

I can work from home just as well as I do from the office. I can hear some neighbours arguing in my building, and that makes me think about those who are less fortunate in this lockdown ‒ people who have lost their jobs, children who have not been to school and have not had a school lunch for a long time, families living in small apartments with hardly any room to work or do homework.

But I miss my family, especially my parents, who are elderly. I miss doing ordinary things like meeting many people at the same time. And of course I miss the office and my colleagues.

In spite of all the pain, loss and disruption, I believe COVID-19 is teaching us lessons. Above all, I think it is teaching us to come to terms with uncertainty. We are very used to being able to plan our lives, but the pandemic, especially at the beginning, has forced us to change our habits. Now we have developed new habits, but we do not know how long this period of uncertainty will last.

When it's over, the first thing I want to do is meet my parents and in-laws. I have seen my parents for a socially distanced picnic in a park, but I am looking forward to spending time with them in real life, like in the good old days.

As I am writing this testimony, the gates of lockdown are timidly opening up and questions are starting to arise: what kind of world are we stepping into? What marks or scars will this epidemic leave on our economies, our societies and our lives? Have we learned anything? Will we do things differently?

As a Greek, seeing my country enter a new crisis just when Greece was starting to come out of a ten-year-long nightmare, I was distressed and felt it was an injustice. We had to face this new pandemic with a weakened healthcare system and economy due to the previous crisis. Today, I am proud to say that Greece handled the first phase swiftly, realistically and successfully. Everywhere there was solidarity and a sense of common purpose.

As representatives of enterprises, our first concern was saving lives. Businesses mobilised very fast and made important donations for the purchase of medical and clinical equipment. At the same time we had to organise work from a distance and keep workers safe in the workplace, examine measures to save companies and jobs, ease liquidity, keep the value chains in place and get organised for the next phase.

Decisions were taken by our government, but we knew that no one could face this asymmetric shock alone. Europe was more relevant than ever! Europe responded - "a bit late" some will say - but it did, and we can be proud as Europeans. I think this is, yet again, the first lesson to draw from this crisis: our futures are interconnected.

The second lesson, I believe, is that we must not abandon our efforts once the coronavirus threat is behind us, but must move on with European integration, especially given the developments between China and the USA. We need to continue along the path that we planned and designed during the previous crisis to achieve a deeper economic, financial, fiscal, green, social and political Europe. I am confident that this time we will persist in our efforts.

Thirdly, before this pandemic, I was always astonished by how much our societies underestimated, undervalued and underinvested in two essential areas of life: health and education. We are living with the consequences of this - people losing their lives and populism on the rise. It is therefore even more important today to create a stronger Europe in terms of health and education.

On a more personal note, during this crisis I had the time to read some philosophy and I would like to share with you a beautiful notion. Ancient Greeks believed in the "cosmos living in harmony". This was based on two values: αιδώς, respect for others and for all the elements - vegetal, animal and human - of our world, and δίκη, justice. Let's get inspired by this concept and create this "cosmos" for ourselves!

Tatjana Babrauskienė is a Lithuanian member of the EESC and of the Lithuanian Education and Science Trade Union. EESC Info has asked her to share her thoughts on COVID-19 as seen from her country.

How have you experienced the lockdown?

It has been a unique experience, involving a great deal of anxiety and waves of panic as headlines talked about a virus that was spreading globally like wildfire.

At the same time, it was like living in slow motion in a world where everything had changed overnight, leaving us with a new normal.

My organisation was flooded with emails from members and teachers who felt lost and needed support. We created a COVID-19 information webpage with recommendations, legal advice and other useful information, and a "Distance learning ideas" page with tips and tools for e-teaching and e-learning.

All this kept us energised because we knew that many people relied and depended on us.

What did you miss during this difficult time?

Meeting with friends and colleagues and most of all with loved ones.

Take Easter, for instance. Traditionally, we spend Easter with our extended family. This year we painted eggs and cooked special dishes as usual, but there was no festive mood in our celebrations.

Thankfully, we were allowed to leave home for a walk or exercise, alone or with family members, and I used this opportunity widely. 

What lessons can be learned from the lockdown?

During the quarantine we created new practices as we gravitated online. We will see whether they will become a regular way of working and communicating, and if the frequency and duration of our meetings with co-workers and friends will change.

The lockdown has also partly been an educational experiment, testing how students perform with online teaching versus face-to-face classes. Unfortunately, it has also increased inequality, and it remains to be seen whether schools can return to the status quo after this crisis.

The digital shift has been shown to involve a risk of age discrimination, the spread of conspiracy theories and the growth of fake news as people try to find answers to the important questions: what is going on here, who is responsible and what are the reasons for it? On the other hand, technology today makes it possible to monitor everyone all the time. How could this impact our personal life? We should not be put in a position of having to choose between privacy and health.

The good news of the lockdown is that the halt to human activity is making a difference to climate change and that cutting carbon emissions and changing people's attitudes could become more of a reality.

What hope is there for those whose jobs are threatened?

Workers have been unevenly affected by the lockdown. Those whose jobs were nonessential and/or couldn't be performed from home faced the largest income losses and lost the most jobs.

Job insecurity and pay are correlated with education levels, so we need to reinforce our education and training systems and provide the necessary up-skilling and re-skilling for everyone in need. We must ensure that we come out of this crisis stronger and better prepared for the future, whatever it might be.

Are there any people you would like to see but haven't been able to yet?

My foreign friends and colleagues. I can't wait to meet them and work with them without worrying about masks, social distancing and hand sanitisers.

Lithuania has done a terrific job in not just flattening the curve, but downright squashing it. Our social life is back to (almost) normal. But in some countries the situation does not look so stable. I do hope things will get better soon for them.

If this quarantine has done anything, it's given people time to recharge and think about how important our relationships are.

When the crisis started in the middle of March, the whole situation was truly unique and unbelievable. Almost everything was closed everywhere in Europe and nobody knew at that time if the lockdown was actually helping or not. Saving lives was the most important thing and the economy had to be sacrificed.

We saw Europe's four freedoms disappear overnight. The Single Market was almost gone. We saw one Member State block deliveries to another and buyers literally waiting outside face-mask factories in China to outbid one another.

In my country, Estonia, the situation was not too bad. The health system was able to cope, and not too many lives were lost to COVID-19 (69 altogether). At first, there was a shortage of masks and other protective equipment, but this was ultimately resolved. It was good to see how quickly some companies changed their production and started to manufacture the necessary equipment, while others helped with deliveries.

My family and I managed quite well. Living in our own house with a garden in a green area, we did not suffer too much. Of course, almost everything - shopping centres, schools, cinemas, theatres and sports facilities - was closed, but walking outside (keeping a distance!) was possible and even recommended.

It was remarkable to see the real boost of e-everything -  from shopping to seminars to communication. Everything was suddenly done via the internet - including schooling. Overnight, teaching and learning went online. And the teachers and children did well. Everyone learned a lot during the crisis and it was so heartwarming to see how much my daughter missed real school.

At work, the legal team of my organisation, the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, provided a record number of consultations during this time. Acknowledgement of force majeure reached an all-time high. The economic situation is slowly improving, but some sectors are still facing great difficulties. I am afraid that this could be only the beginning and that in autumn, things may get worse. For the moment, government measures are helping a lot of people, but what will happen if these come to an end?

Difficult times like this make one think about and appreciate the lives we live and our freedom, in Europe and also at the Committee. It is indeed a real luxury to be able to travel, come to Brussels and have our debates. It is very important that we continue our work, so as to maintain a real link between different people in different EU countries, with or without crises.

German trade unionist Peter Schmidt gives us an insight into the challenges faced by trade unions in his country amid furloughs and dismissals on the one hand and essential workers putting their safety on the line on the other.

How are you experiencing this coronavirus crisis?

I have the feeling that we are living in surreal times and discovering how vulnerable our societies and economies are.

What has this crisis meant for you and your organisation?

For me as a trade unionist it is essential that we come together and communicate with one another. Freedom of association is a core element of our democracy. We are seeing how important this right is and realising that we will have to fight to preserve it in the future.

In some cases, where we had excellent relations with employers, we found ways to keep the social dialogue alive and we struck some very good win-win agreements. But in other cases both the workers and the companies lost out.

How did you experience the lockdown?

The most striking thing for me was to see so much social solidarity between neighbours and friends. I was also struck by how the pace of society slowed down.

What did you miss most during this difficult time?

Meeting friends and family, going to restaurants.

What lessons can be learned from the lockdown?

That the most important people in our society are nurses, shop assistants, rubbish collectors, caretakers and so on, and yet that they have the lowest salaries. The virus has exposed our economic weakness, which is why we need a shift towards an economy of wellbeing.

What hope is there for those whose jobs are threatened?

That the Member States have learned their lessons and will support them for much longer than their contracts cover them for.

Who are the first people you want to see when this is over?

My mother. She is in a rest home that is still locked down.

On 10 March the EU-Serbia Joint Consultative Committee meeting in Brussels took place in a strange, heavy atmosphere. After the meeting everyone was in a hurry to get back on the road. I returned home knowing that major changes were about to hit Europe and with the feeling that this would be my last flight for a long time. In Hungary, during this period people's main reactions were uncertainty and disbelief. For many Hungarians the severity of the situation became clear when the government announced that the celebrations planned for 15 March, our national day, would be cancelled.

Like many other European countries Hungary closed its borders and introduced a number of restrictive measures. Education moved to on-line classes, those who could work at home did so and silence reigned in the streets and in usually crowded areas. Although a state of emergency was swiftly declared, the country did not lock down completely. Public areas were not totally empty and there was no strict ban on people going out of their homes. Thus, where I live, our favourite ice cream parlour at the end of the road stayed open all the time, to my children's great joy.

And how vital these sources of consolation were to our little heroes during this period of lockdown! At their level and to the extent of their ability, the children helped to protect our family well. Confined to barracks, they endeavoured to play quietly, gave up their birthday parties and sat in front of screens for hours on end (whereas previously we had been constantly telling them to limit their screen time). As well as children, the elderly were also widely condemned to isolation. In several places local authorities and civil society organisations did a good job of providing assistance to people isolating at home. However, in many cases this task fell to family members.

For my part, the lesson which I have learned from the past few weeks is how much more important the role of the family and family ties become in this kind of crisis. It is now clear that families have the ability to strengthen society's immune system, but we have also realised how vulnerable they are and how much they need to be helped. In this respect, civil society organisations have a key role to play. In our association, it has also been interesting to note how, in addition to practical forms of help (such as gifts, logistical support and assistance with education), assistance was also needed in the area of mental health.

The experience of the lockdown has been mixed, I would say. On the one hand, working from home has provided me with more time with my family than I've ever had. On the other, I've had to make arrangements to convert a room in my home into an office. Staying at home for long hours is frustrating at times, so I have tried to spend time on my favourite hobby: listening to music on my hi-fi system.

As a university teacher, I have missed interacting with students during lectures. Yes, I have interacted via Zoom or Panopto, but it's not the same as when you're in the classroom.

From an academic perspective, one lesson learnt is the capacity to interact with students online, and though I believe that being physically present in the classroom is a better teaching method, it is useful to consider blended learning as the way forward.

I have also participated in several online meetings, and they have been largely as effective as being physically present. A number of meetings could actually continue being held online, including some EESC meetings.

Beyond my personal experience, the lockdown has brought to light a number of realities: some economic activities were evidently non-sustainable and others not as resilient as we believed them to be. A re-think of economic activities is therefore both necessary and long overdue, and the sooner the better. But the effects of COVID-19 and the transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy are likely to be painful for many.

I have to say I've been one of the more fortunate ones, in that I could switch to online teaching and interacting with students via Zoom or Panopto within a week or so. My workload has probably increased, as I've not had to travel as before. I've also continued to meet colleagues at university and elsewhere online.

But I know many whose line of work has been disrupted or has stopped altogether. Many are still on state support, and that support is shrinking as it nears its end date. Many have also lost their jobs, and for them especially finding work will be much more difficult than they've ever experienced. Youth unemployment, including among graduates, is likely to increase and it will take at least a couple of years for economies to return to anywhere close to 2019 levels.

Being an academic, my first priority would be to resume attending conferences where I can meet colleagues and discuss economic topics of common interest. The next priority would be to start visiting the few audiophile friends I know here in Malta and sharing experiences and knowledge of audiophile systems.

In his address to the nation on March 15, the president of Cyprus announced preventive measures putting the country and large parts of the economy under lockdown. The message was that severe economic hardship was imminent and we all had to brace ourselves for the impact. 

In the face of this unprecedented crisis, the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) responded by suspending all non-essential services and focusing its resources and human capital on helping the government and businesses protect public health and the economy.

We put OEB into overdrive, establishing the federation from day one as the contact point for businesses. A Mon.-Sun. hotline was introduced offering guidance to businesses and we issued more than 175 circulars in real time, providing information and answering questions about healthcare protocols and the business support schemes put in place.

We also made 67 radio and 192 television appearances, of which 52 were on primetime news. In the same 4-month period, our executive committee convened 27 times (it usually sits  about 10 times a year) and met 11 of our 14 cabinet ministers.

The business community rallied behind OEB’s efforts, offering valuable insight into the problems the economy was facing. We are proud to say that we were directly involved in the framing of the national response strategy, our proposals forming a considerable part of the national COVID-19 exit plan.

This pandemic has been hard on everyone, most of all the tragic loss of human life. It has affected our interpersonal relationships, employment and the way we conduct business. We have been moved by the solidarity people and businesses have demonstrated, as well as by how well they complied with the restrictions imposed.

Although a force of destruction, COVID-19 has taught us a lot. We have learned that the state and the private sector can work together effectively in perilous times. We have learned that decisive intervention based on solid scientific evidence can bring positive results. We have also learned to think differently and adapt how we work, foregrounding the importance of a digital economy.

Unfortunately, this crisis will not leave our economy unscathed. But from what we have experienced so far, if we show the same resolve and decisiveness in the months ahead, we can put this crisis behind us with fewer losses than there might have been and return to normality sooner rather than later.

Lockdown was a strange time of self-understanding. On the one hand, it was like a dream come true... to stay at home and have enough time to do all those things I'd always wanted to do, but didn't have time for. On the other, it made you realise how important socialisation is for people - to meet, talk, touch, see other human beings in reality and not on a screen. And how hard it is to live without all that.

This experience changes your values and makes you think in a different way. But it also shows new ways of working together. It is possible that after this crisis we will have more online meetings, which are much easier, but at the same time do not really allow us to create new ideas together and develop new forms of cooperation.

There are and will be many lessons for our society. I wouldn't be able to mention all of them, so maybe I will highlight just few in the field I know best - people with disabilities.

This crisis has shown how bad the situation is in long-term care centres. Many people with disabilities and many elderly people just died there and some countries did not even include these deaths in their coronavirus statistics. Five years ago, our Committee drew up an opinion on the deinstitutionalisation of care. There have been some changes since, but the crisis has shown how much we still have to do.

At the same time, we have been talking so much about support systems for the most vulnerable groups in society, but the crisis has shown that, despite all the support measures, people with disabilities were one of the first groups to lose their jobs.

A crisis is a fantastic opportunity to spot the weakest links in our support systems and now is the time to do our best to make them stronger.

The role of civil society organisations during this crisis has been and will continue to be very important, as they are the closest to all members of society. People from different groups need to be supported and civil society organisations are the best place for them to find that support.

These organisations are also best placed to know what kind of help people need, so it is incredibly important to involve them in the decision-making process.

As our experience in the field of disability has shown, there have been a great many different approaches. Some countries have included organisations of people with disabilities in governmental decision-making bodies (Italy), and some have given them the opportunity to express their views at a very high level (Spain), but in some others these organisations have just been forgotten (Latvia). And this reveals how much importance the governments of the different European countries attach to their different citizens.

How was the two-month lockdown in Bucharest? Strange! On 15 March, Romania took its first measures. From 18 March, everyone had to stay at home. Before 15 March, this was only a recommendation, which few people followed, increasing the epidemiological risks. The mandatory lockdown lasted until 15 May, when the state of emergency was replaced by a state of alert. But this was no holiday! On the contrary, I worked harder, working online for more than 12 hours, and sometimes 16 hours a day: classes and activities on the university's platform, and taking part in TV programmes, interviews, meetings and webinars.

The lines between public and private life became blurred and the boundary between the two worlds quite simply disappeared. Moreover, things did not become easier at the end of this two-month period. Life has not gone back to normal and, as well as my online activity, I have other obligations requiring a physical presence. So my schedule has remained just as packed.

Even though I wasn't one of those who were permanently isolated in their own homes – I had limited freedom of movement in Bucharest – my ability to travel was considerably reduced. That was the hardest thing to bear during this period. This is perhaps why, symbolically, the first thing I did when the state of emergency ended on 15 May was to make an appointment to renew my passport. However, the successive steps to ease the lockdown have not fully restored freedom of movement.

Travelling abroad – for example to Brussels for EESC meetings – remains difficult and can be a risky business. Flights are cancelled from one day to the next and it is hard to predict what will happen. Life has changed, neither for better nor for worse, but it has certainly become different. And we will have to adapt. For a while anyway. And, once again, the most vulnerable will be the first to suffer.