What do EU nationals think of the vaccines mess?

[Frazzled2207]

I’m a committed remainer. But the EU really did mess up last night. More seriously they are not in a good position right now with regards vaccine supply. Lots of anti-Eu posts here right now from committed remainers like me.

Just wondering what EU citizens make of all this and is there any bad feeling towards the UK? Do you think the EU has a right to some of the UK’s vaccine supply? Are people angry at the fact that the UK was able to secure more vaccines more quickly? Or are we coming across as selfish idiots?
Generally curious and am not here to start an argument

@SkiingIsHeaven Fantastic post

I think the AZ vaccine may be used for under 65s, but they haven't got as far as that group yet and I believe it was only intended to start being used later. My friends (we are in France) who are over 75 are getting Pfizer and a follow-up appointment three weeks later for the second one. We are over 70 and should get ours by late February, but I think it may be March now.

It may be that it's not being reported in the EU and that's fine but those actions were definitely taken even if later rolled back and they are aggressive unnecessary acts bound to cause exactly this kind of Brexit right wing reporting in the U.K.

I just don't understand why do such extreme things as threatening export bans and Irish border controls.

Do they want to hand Boris and the Brexiteers some free support and publicity?

Der Spiegel article. Not a flattering portrait of Ursula Von Der Leyen
www.spiegel.de/international/europe/europe-s-vaccine-disaster-commission-president-ursula-von-der-leyen-seeking-to-duck-responsibility-a-1197547d-6219-4438-9d69-b76e64701802

If they have enough with Pfizer anyway it makes it all the more mystifying that such extreme measures would be taken for a vaccine that apparently they don't want or need anyhow! Bit dog in the manger.

I totally agree with you @CovoidOfAllHumanity

@lovelemoncurd

I came on this thread thinking it would be comments from EU citizens. Instead it's just erupted into another anti EU thread between Brexit and remain voters.

Can we stick to the question the op posted!?

I’m the op and a just thinking the same thing. I did not expect this! Only had a couple of reasonable answers

@OuiOuiKitty

Why it has resulted in this big row or why it has anything to do with the U.K. and far less the Irish border is quite hard to fathom.

From this thread it would appear that people in the UK think it is a big row but in the EU we don't really care about the UK and it barely features. If you listen to the people here that are living in the EU they are saying we are all fairly chill about the whole thing. The border thing was rolled back on in a couple of hours after Ireland said well actually that won't work.

I don't know why people on the ground in the UK are acting so wound up about the whole thing, like you said it's nothing to with the UK so why all the frothing? It's weird and seems out of proportion to what happening in EU counties right now.

It’s a big deal in the U.K. because EU threatened to trigger border checks between RoI and NI which is a highly sensitive border and no one in the EU thought to speak to the Irish or U.K. government first. That’s not just a opsy moment, it’s a big issue in the context of an agreement that is meant to preserve the Good Friday Agreement. Maybe other European countries don’t know or care much about this but the EU should given RoI is a member state?

I also don’t get the boasting about European press not really reporting the issue. The issue is about the EU not procuring vaccine supplies effectively which will lead to domestic delays in vaccine roll out, leading to your vulnerable citizens getting ill and dying preventable deaths.

The fact there’s no introspection or criticism of the EU handling is quite amazing to me. No wonder the EU Commission get away with their behaviour and poor handling if no one holds them to account. I’m glad the U.K. press don’t give our politicians such an easy pass.

That just means that EU press are not covering what the various EU people are saying. Probably as part of the not explaining clearly how this started in the first place.

So nothing much about the paucity of cash input to Covex

Nothing much about the comparative amounts given to potential developers

Nothing much about the caviling about the cost of each vaccine, with a not for profit development when each Euro not paid means less for poorer countries

Nothing much about the 3 month delay

Nothing much about the direct and indirect threats from German ministers and EU representatives... now retracted or explained away

Nothing much about the accusations that AZ were lying about the cause of the temporary slow down if manufacturing

Nothing much about the same situation we and the US etc experienced in December, or our government reaction to it.

The UK government is not the only one that asks journalists to downplay some stories and UK journalists are not the only ones to turn on/off the nationalistic jingoism as they seem appropriate.

Maybe, as some here have been saying (myself included) you could accept that the EU error is historical but the reaction to the outcome is far too aggressive and self protective. It is simply not proportional and is clearly illogical in some aspects.

@redsquirrelfan

AstraZenica who have not delivered what was ordered and paid for

They would be hard pushed to have done so given the EMA only approved the vaccine yesterday!

The approval has nothing to do with the ORDER which was already made. The UK order was also made months before the UK approved the vaccine in late December.

Gargh! I did use paragraphs, promise!!!

I think there have been a fair few EU posters and their view is that mainly no one in the EU gives much of a crap about it and it's not being reported so I guess that might not make for a very interesting thread.

Sorry if you feel I have derailed it. I am generally very pro EU but think they got it wrong on this issue and have just been trying to clarify actual facts mainly.

Good post @CuriousaboutSamphire amazing if continental press isn’t picking up all those issues and asking what the hell is going on. I wonder why they aren’t? Lazy journalism or is the commission encouraging bad news not to be reported to keep a lid on tensions?

If this happened in the U.K. there’s no way it wouldn’t be front page news everywhere.

It’s a big deal in the U.K. because EU threatened to trigger border checks between RoI and NI which is a highly sensitive border and no one in the EU thought to speak to the Irish or U.K. government first. That’s not just a opsy moment, it’s a big issue in the context of an agreement that is meant to preserve the Good Friday Agreement. Maybe other European countries don’t know or care much about this but the EU should given RoI is a member state?

I'm in ROI, still chill as is everyone I know. We know sometimes people make mistakes, the EU made a mistake, we said hold up and the EU rolled back.

Ok trying to move back to the Op I am pleased that the whole Az argument is not particularly playing out in the Eu and that you’re not pissed off with the British. But is there resentment that the Eu is not doing better with its vaccine strategy or do you think it’s ok?

They have a relatively short shelf life and at this point in a global pandemic they were not going to be made and left in a cupboard for a few months whilst an order sat unapproved.

And this time last week that was all done and dandy as it meant UK citizens were being used as Guinea pigs!!!

I’m glad the U.K. press don’t give our politicians such an easy pass.

🤣

Back to op.
I’m Spanish. I do think this is because of brexit. Eu is annoyed and throwing a big tantrum that for once the uk hasn’t messed up and are doing ok in something. Whilst their stockpiling plan has gone wrong with most of the vaccines where they’re having delays or plans cancelled. Instead of taking responsibility of their own actions are blaming others .. and in this case the uk is perfect because they just left and are doing ok.

However , what keeps coming from the Spanish media is mainly the British have stoke. Our vaccines and aztreceneca is in big trouble after the contract was released yesterday. The eu is doing right by blocking the Pfizer vaccine to other countries

I'm very surprised people in Ireland aren't more annoyed about it. The Irish government were I think. Seems to me like the EU were pretty quick to throw Ireland under the bus in a very disproportionate way. I think everyone thought it would be the U.K. invoking the clause and putting up barriers if anyone did and not the EU.

Like I said I am generally very pro EU and I feel mystified and upset myself that they acted like this.

So Spanish people are angry and are buying that it's the UK's fault?

Good post @CuriousaboutSamphire amazing if continental press isn’t picking up all those issues and asking what the hell is going on. I wonder why they aren’t? Lazy journalism or is the commission encouraging bad news not to be reported to keep a lid on tensions?

I think it is more because we don't have try to convince everyone that Brexit was a good idea. Like someone else said there is news of the j&j vaccine being widely available in a few months, we are lockdown here for another month anyway, numbers are falling, we are coming into Spring, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is no need for everyone to get wound up.

@CovoidOfAllHumanity

So Spanish people are angry and are buying that it's the UK's fault?

More or less cuz we’re keeping the vaccines whilst they don’t.

Also no mention at all about article 16. I’ve searched in the different newspapers and nothing

Seems to me like the EU were pretty quick to throw Ireland under the bus in a very disproportionate way.

Nope. We can see it was a mistake, we were listened to, it was rectified. All sorted in a couple of hours. No one was thrown under any buses.

So @PlanDeRaccordement is now claiming Article 16 was not being invoked. The UK misunderstood

Are you a bot?

I'm in ROI, still chill as is everyone I know. We know sometimes people make mistakes, the EU made a mistake, we said hold up and the EU rolled back.

A mistake is putting on mismatched socks. A mistake is not triggering an emergency mechanism regarding a highly sensitive border without even being arsed to inform, let alone consult, the relevant leaders.

I don't think the Taoiseach was all that 'chill' about it.