The European Union’s Response to COVID-19 as an Existential Threat

OpenAlex İngilizce

The agenda and referent subjects and objects of security have widened as both the actors and the themes of national and international security have varied in the Post-Cold War Era. Recently, the epidemics have also been transformed into one of these vital referent objects of security. In fact, not only less-developed and developing countries but also developed countries including great and middle powers would become vulnerable to the pandemics such as in the case of COVID-19. Thus, the European Union (EU) Member States, first and foremost Italy, Spain and France have been profoundly affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19. In fact, the EU must face the implications of this pandemic in a time of existential threats including the Brexit, Euro crisis, rising populism and Euroscepticism. Within this context, this study initially aims to evaluate the vulnerability of the EU to COVID-19, then, the responses to and reflections of the pandemic in terms of the EU’s security in a period when the EU’s solidarity and unity have been already questioned. Eventually, this study discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 as another existential threat on the European integration process.