21
May
2026
Watch
The Union’s preparedness for and response to health emergencies: the case of the MV Hondius and the hantavirus warning (debate)
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, viruses do not have passports, they do not ask for permission to enter our borders and, above all, they do not wait for Europe to be ready to deal with them. We learned this the hard way during the pandemic, and the recent hantavirus alert reminds us that global health threats do not belong to the past, they are, unfortunately, the present. The activation of the civil protection mechanism to evacuate the ship's passengers has worked – as you also mentioned, Commissioner – but the management of emergencies cannot be based only on the pursuit of news events. After COVID, we promised citizens that health would be a top priority. Yet, today we are witnessing the cutting of vital programs, such as EU4Health, just as global threats are increasing. Protecting health means investing in prevention, strengthening public health systems, sharing data and coordinating responses before a crisis erupts, not when it's already out of control. More money, less bureaucracy. Health is not a second-class competence, it is the life of our citizens.