Coronavirus DK: Maintaining solidarity across age groups and EU

Because of the many gatherings that I reported on yesterday, the Danish Police have identified several areas as “hotspots” that people should avoid (DK). They are locations by the waterfront and other recreational areas where people often congregate in the good weather, and a few have been designated in all the major cities. The police advise people to find less popular places to take the sun and help reduce the risk of spreading the corona virus. They are posting notices and will be stationed in the areas to break up groups of more than 10 people and issue fines if people don’t comply.

The administration and coronavirus.dk have tweeted an animated message (DK) to the same effect intended for young people. It reminds them that, although they may be healthy and symptom-free, they may be carrying the virus, which can spread when they socialize and cultivate the famous Danish hygge (“coziness” or relaxed conviviality). They could infect the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, who can die from it. The hashtag “#sammenhverforsig” has become one of the crisis management team’s slogans. It can be translated as “together separately”; that is, show solidarity by keeping a distance to others – a sort of the pandemic variation on the Dumas’s three muskateers’ “All for one and one for all.”

“All for one” on EU corona bonds?

Meanwhile, at an online meeting on Thursday, the leaders of the European Union member states could not agree (DK) on the terms of an aid package for countries hurt by the pandemic. They have approved a package of DKK 4,000 billion (about $570 billion) that is intended to help employees, businesses and countries that have been hurt the worst by pandemic. But some of the southern European countries also want the EU to assume joint liability for debt, and some of the northern countries, including Denmark, are against that. Denmark’s position is that the contributions from the individual countries should be maintained at 1 percent of the country’s GDP and that it should be possible to help the hardest-hit countries within the framework of the current budget.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Minister for Competition and former Danish cabinet minister, earlier in the week advocated the creation of shared European debt (DK), so-called corona bonds. She argued that, while during the financial crisis some countries suffered because their banks were ill-prepared, in this case the pandemic is no one’s fault. If the countries with stronger economies support the bonds, the interest rate will be lower. French President Emmanuel Macron has also been arguing recently that mutualized debt is necessary in order keep the EU together and if the member states do not show solidarity, it will further the populistic elements that have gained a large following in recent years and that have divided them. Danish Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen is skeptical about this step, which has been debated for years, warning that shared debt could weaken the individual countries’ incentive to maintain sound finances.

Extra credit in biology

The tabloid B.T. reports an unintended consequence of one form of corona virus workaround that occurred among eighth-grade students of Rismølle School in Randers, Jutland. After finishing an online class at 9:45 a.m., their teacher forgot to turn off the computer and the students could hear the sounds of sexual intercourse (DK) in the school’s “online universe.” The principal sent a message to parents apologizing for the incident and assuring them that the part of the transmission in question consisted only of audio, that is, not livestreaming video. “But of course that is also serious,” the message concluded. Whether the teacher was involved in the offensive activity was not disclosed. Like everything else, hygge has its limits.