Interview conducted by Robert Lupițu
One of lessons learned from the COVID pandemic crisis is that not one single country could win in today’s world, said European Commissioner Thierry Breton in an exclusive interview for CaleaEuropeană.ro, granted during his visit in Bucharest for meetings with political top officials to discuss the worrying situation of the pandemic and the low vaccination rate.
Calling for “political courage” on the part of decision-makers to implement the green certificate, Thierry Breton also called on Romanian citizens to get vaccinated, saying he was concerned about the situation in our country.
“I am worried, to tell you the truth. We are in a difficult situation. That’s why I come here to help, to support. Of course it is the responsibility of the country and I don’t want to interfere, but we are Europeans, we are friends, we are together, we understand each other. (…) You know that the vaccine works. You know that today we already have 3 billion people on our planet who have been vaccinated and it works. It has no side effects – explain this to your parents, if they hesitate, explain it to your grandparents! Because, after all, it can save lives and it can save us. (…) It will be very sad to have people die just because they didn’t make the effort to go and get vaccinated. Do it. It is in your hands,” said the European Commissioner.
He also spoke highly of Romania’s “digital strength”, welcoming the fact that Bucharest will host the EU’s new Cyber Security Competence Centre. This “demonstrates what I knew, even before I was commissioner, the strength of Romania, with fantastic engineers, extremely good digital engineers, very good companies, including unicorns,” Breton stressed.
Also responsible for the European Defence Fund component of his portfolio as commissioner, Thierry Breton said of Romania’s military mobility projects that he wanted to ensure that “together we can develop not only the right infrastructure but also the right technology for tomorrow”.
Finally, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market stressed the priority of improving the resilience of the strategic supply chain in the context of a partnership between the European Commission and industry. He cited the semiconductor crisis, but also the lessons learned from the crisis on the health side. “To tell you the truth, who would have thought 18 months ago that Europe would become the pharmacy of the world? We have. We did it for our European citizens and for the world”, he added
“We have many other areas where we are working, but we are working out just to secure our supply chain. This is a lesson that we have learned from the crisis and by the way, not one single country could win in today’s world. This is why we are so lucky and fortunate to be all together, Europeans”, concluded Thierry Breton.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Commissioner Breton, your visit to Bucharest is the first one since President von der Leyen gave the green light for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for Romania. And it did so in in one of the most important hospitals in the fight against COVID. What is your evaluation after today’s discussions with Romanian officials about the worrying situation in regards to the pandemic?
Thierry Breton: I’m worried, to tell you the truth. We are in a difficult situation. First, we have a new wave of this pandemic coming. This is called the fifth wave and it’s coming everywhere but of course, countries where which have already a good vaccination rate are much more well preserved and people don’t go to hospital. They could get to disease but they don’t go to hospital. Unfortunately, for countries who are below 50% of the population, like in Romania, being vaccinated, then we see a number rising. And that’s terrible because we know that this is a dangerous disease. And we know also that we have the solution. And the solution is vaccination. Today, Europe is at more than 72-73% and it’s true that in Romania we are below 50 percent. This is why I come here to help to support. Of course it is the responsibility of the country and I don’t want to interfere, but we are Europeans, we are friends, we are together, we understand both. And my message is please address this, especially for the young generation. You know that the vaccine is working. You know that today we have already 3 billion inhabitants of our planet which have been vaccinated and it’s working. No side effect – Explain this to your parents if they hesitate explain this to your grandparents. Because at the end of the day it can save lifes and it can save us. So the message is very simple. We have the tool, we need to accelerate. The doses are here, we do not lack the vaccine. We are very lucky in Europe. We’re sending everywhere on the planet, because we have more dozes that we need. But we need to use it. It will be very sad that we have people dying just because they didn’t make the effort to go to be vaccinated. Do it! It’s in your hands!
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Despite being the 6th largest EU country, Romania has the second lowest vaccination rate against COVID-19 with only 7 million people who got the jab. Where did we got it wrong and what should be the next steps to booster the campaign, including tackling disinformation?
Thierry Breton: Well, disinformation is everywhere. And we know that disinformation is on the networks. I mean, other platforms. I mean, we have to educate our young generation but also everybody to say: “It’s not because you see an information, an Instagram or whatever, on Twitter, that it is true”. I mean, you should have your own judgment. And today, we are able in vaccination to have our own judgment, because we have now 3 billion individuals with who have been vaccinated without any single side effect, except that it’s working and I don’t go to hospital anymore. So it’s working. This is a true information. Everything else is of course, fake news and disinformation. But it’s true everywhere, not only in Romania. So, what should we do? It’s only one thing to do. First, it’s not my responsibility to say this, is the responsibility of the member states. But again, I’m here to see if we can support, if you need more vaccines, if you need more logistics. Unfortunately, we know that because of its low vaccination rates, we see hospitals in a very difficult situation. Probably one of the most tense in Europe. So we are sending help to support here. It’s common, we are European we are all together in European solidarity. But of course, I mean, being European means that we need to act as European helping each other. But you know, when you go to be vaccinated, you do it for you, you do it for others, you do it for your family, for your friends. You do it also for Europe, because we are Europeans. And we know that as long as we we still have some clusters. Of course, when you have only 50% of the population being vaccinated and there is a wave, then it’s a big cluster potentially in a big country like Romania. So that’s a problem. So do it also for Europe, because at the end of the day, we know that what saves us against the virus is definitely to be all together European vaccinated at the same time.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: You asked for political courage for the ongoing parliamentary debate on implementation of the digital COVID certificate – do you feel assured after today’s meetings?
Thierry Breton: Well, you know, I say this in general, I think it’s important because I know that sometimes especially in this very special situation we have to take a difficult decision. Of course, we would prefer to not use the digital certificate. But we know only for a few weeks doing this, having a digital certificate like we have today in 27 members but also because our European digital certificate works so well. while preserving our fundamental rights. I want to give you an information: 75 countries accepted our digital certificate. So it’s not only Europe, we did it, but it’s working so well that when preserving of course our right our sovereignty, our autonomy, our identity, other countries adopted it. So I think that yes, maybe some we say it’s a little bit against my freedom, but I make this effort for maybe a few weeks, because I know that it is a tool which will help us together in solidarity, to make sure that we protect ourselves, that we’ll be able to continue to live, we will continue to guarantee that we are not a risk cause and then the economy will be able to continue. Because if we enter into a new lockdown, not only it will be a tragedy for us as persons, it could be a tragedy also economically for us as a continent.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Your discussions with Romanian officials took place in the midst of both a political and governmental crisis. Is the European Commission worried about the overall landscape in Romania? Also, some of the ideas born from the negotiations between political families was the re-opening of NRRP negotiations. What is the European Commission’s message on this?
Thierry Breton: I think we don’t have to enter into the politics of member states. We are big democracies, and this is why Europe is what it is. It’s extremely important. It’s true that we have a special democratic moment now in Romania. We hope that we will have very soon a stable government that’s extremely important for us and for the country. It’s important also, including for what we spoke, about the vaccination campaign and for all the reforms. But you know, the plan has been adopted.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: So no-reopening of NRRP negotiations?
Thierry Breton: It will not be a reopening, of course not, but it has to be applied now very quickly. And we hope that yes, Romania with a new government will be better to put this in place as soon as possible because end of the day, it is just the interest of course of Romanian people. And the stronger Romania will be, the better it will be for Romania better so for Europe.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: At the level of the European Commission you cover a very wide portfolio, with the single market at its helm, but with clear distinct pillars: Digital Europe, cyber resilience, industry, military mobility. What is your expectations from Romania towards a digital transition and with the hosting of EU’s cyber centre?
Thierry Breton: First, I’m very happy and proud that Romania will host the Digital Cyber Center because it demonstrates what I knew, including before I was a commissioner, the strength of Romania, with fantastic engineers, extremely good in digital, very good companies, including unicorns. I visited a very famous one this morning in Bucharest. This is why we are very happy that Romania will be the center of our cyber resources and maybe defense, too. So I don’t have any expectation. I have some hope that we will be able to enhance it. I am convinced that we’ll be able to do it because this is a big strength of Romania. Some don’t know that Romania is so good at it. I know it especially because in my life I was a finance minister, but also a CEO in a digital company. And I always admire the quality of engineers here. So I’m very happy and I’m convinced that it is the beginning of a big, big thing.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: And with regards to military mobility, you discussed this topic with Defense Minister Ciucă. What can the European Commission do to support Romania’s infrastructure projects, especially for the Black Sea region?
Thierry Breton: I know that’s a very important project. I mean, everything which is here is part of the big plan for Romania. So I believe it’s a good thing. But of course, this is Romania’s priority. And my mission as a commissioner in charge of defense in the Commission, especially the European Defense Fund, is also to make sure that we will be able to develop together not only the right infrastructure, but also the right technology for tomorrow and this is also something which is probably as important as infrastructure.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: The single market, the industry and supply chain were affected during this crisis. Also, the medical urgency – from medical equipments to treatments and vaccines – has proved how important is the partnership between the decision makers and the industry for our resilience. What is the European Commission prepared to do to strengthen this partnership further in order to achieve this resilience goal?
Thierry Breton: This is a really, you know, in our industry strategies, we have many, many things at stake. But let’s say the most important thing for me today that we learned from this crisis, which is of course is not over, is to enhance the resilience of our strategic supply chain. And we have some strategic supply chains today that could be a little bit at risk. Of course, we spoke about health, but now we have been able to do whatever is necessary. To tell you the truth, who could have believed 18 months ago that Europe will become the pharmacy of the world? We did it. It wasn’t the case 18 months ago. We did it for our European citizens and for the world. We have also a problem of supply chain in semiconductors. We are working hard to make sure that we are able to relocate some activities and to be covered, so net exporter of chips which is extremely important. We have many other areas where we are working, but we are working out just to secure our supply chain. This is a lesson that we have learned from the crisis and by the way, not one single country could win in today’s world. This is why we are so lucky and fortunate to be all together, Europeans.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Thank you very much, Commissioner Breton, for this interview.
Thierry Breton: Thank you.
