Stay healthy! Stay home. Stay human.

👋! I haven’t spoken to you in a while, I know. But that doesn’t mean I’m not doing anything. At most, the opposite. Let me explain …

I’ve been thinking for days about what to write, how to write. Should I, as another one in the series, explain to you in a broad way what we should or should not do in the current situation? I will not. To those who have not yet realised the seriousness of the situation, one way or another, one such record would not change their minds.

Video meetings and video conferences did nothing to ease our work, on the contrary, they only complicate things …  The introvert in me actually has no major problems with the fact that we should be at home. Even less problems has the “PJ and the tracksuit” version in me. 🤭 But these are so much worse for the altruist in me.

I believe that anyone who can help should help. Contribute one piece even the smallest to the mosaic. Everyone is equally honourable. Unfortunately, I also believe that those who can help do not help. That is their decision. But … Not every human is a Human. Furthermore, exploiting the situation – for own profit, for five minutes of glory, for power, for oneself – is anything but human.

I will not explicitly criticise anyone. I will not explicitly praise anyone. What is need should be done. If anyone thinks that the European Union is doing nothing, is in the wrong. We have an extraordinary plenary tomorrow where we will be able – for the first time ever – to vote remotely. We will adopt the necessary legislation to mitigate the effects of the crisis. In a nutshell: the 37 billion cohesion funds will be made available for use by Member States under the Investment Initiative; EU will broaden the scope of the EU Solidarity Fund (to make use of public health protection funds); and last but not least, will stop ghost flights that may be triggered by the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition, committees are also working. For example, in the Committee on Culture and Education, of which I am a full member, our political group Renew Europe is making several proposals for action. Culture and education is in the crucial times now that schools are closed, cinemas, theatres, concerts, events cancelled … It is quite clear that the measures we will confirm and take tomorrow  will not be enough and that they are only the first  of many who will, I hope as soon as possible, follow. In the meantime, if I express myself beyond what I have written above, I am contributing some extra pieces to the mosaic.

Well … I was also thinking about how much to go into detail about this. On one hand, I was wondering “will they think it’s self-promotion, doing exactly those things that I condemn,  so taking advantage of the situation”? On the other hand … Who should be an example to others if not us? Are we all politicians bad? No. Should I be quiet because there are so many bad ones? No, I will not.

Believe it or not,  I would be rather ‘on-the-field’ helping those that need it the most. Those who know me know this very well. Unfortunately, current circumstances do not allow me to do so and I have to stay at home, but I still help; not only financially, I make it easier for many volunteers who are in the field in many different ways. I’m not going to take this moment and explain everything, there will be moments for that, I’m sure. Be enough for now.

Stay healthy! Stay home. Stay human. ❤️