A JAB WILL GET YOU ON THE PLANE: The Greek government is proposing that the EU introduce a vaccination certificate, for “facilitating the freedom of movement of persons who have been vaccinated against COVID-19,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a letter, seen by Playbook. “It is urgent to adopt a common understanding on how a vaccination certificate should be structured so as to be accepted in all Member States,” the PM added.
Privileged movers: Mitsotakis wrote that “ensuring the quickest possible re-establishment of freedom of movement … is, of necessity, a fundamental priority for us all.” And while Greece is “not going to make vaccination compulsory or a prerequisite for travel, persons who have been vaccinated should be free to travel.” Mitsotakis added that “this will also provide a positive incentive for ensuring that citizens are encouraged to undergo vaccination.”
GOOD MORNING. It’s this year’s one big debate about the social contract in these times of the coronavirus. Consensus, therefore, that the obvious practical advantages of a vaccine certificate outweigh the disadvantages is far from a given — after all, one could further scare anti-vaxxers, the precious species that needs love and attention rather than a shrug. Or so some say; others argue it would be unfair to allow only those who have been vaccinated to return to normal life, at least as long as the government gets to decide who gets jabbed when.
MITSOTAKIS’ LESSON LEARNED: Best to start campaigning early, given recent experiences with EU coordination. With a nod to his fellow leaders, and the Commission’s epic struggle to coordinate coronavirus measures among them, Mitsotakis added that “this may sound simple but the lengthy experience we have had on developing a common PLF [Passenger Locator Form] has shown us that there is an urgent need for a high-level EU-wide mobilization to move things forward.” There’s an EU summit (by videoconference) on January 21 — which is when Mitsotakis hopes to discuss the issue.
International appeal: Mitsotakis said in his note to von der Leyen that he is “looking forward to you giving the necessary impetus in this direction.” He added that he hopes to “rapidly reach a common understanding” among EU countries on a “vaccination certification form and its uses,” and to push the issue internationally, even, which would mean “contributing to the re-establishment of mobility on a global scale, which is the foundation for re-establishing economic activity to pre-crisis levels.”
Source: politico.eu
