This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/europe-blindsided-by-trumps-travel-restrictions-with-many-seeing-political-motive/2020/03/12/42a279d0-6412-11ea-8a8e-5c5336b32760_story.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_world
The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Europe blindsided by Trump’s travel restrictions, with many seeing political motive | Europe blindsided by Trump’s travel restrictions, with many seeing political motive |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| PARIS — European officials strongly condemned President Trump's decision to severely restrict travel from Europe to the United States on Thursday, a sudden move that took them by surprise and that many saw as politically motivated. | PARIS — European officials strongly condemned President Trump's decision to severely restrict travel from Europe to the United States on Thursday, a sudden move that took them by surprise and that many saw as politically motivated. |
| Of all the slights between Washington and Europe in recent years, the new travel restrictions represented a blow an order of magnitude beyond previous disputes. In a short statement on Thursday morning rare in its directness, the European Union expressed only exasperation. | |
| "The Coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action," the statement read, co-signed by E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. | |
| “The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.” | “The European Union disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.” |
| The fiery statement from Brussels was a sign of just how little the two sides appear to be coordinating their response to the coronavirus pandemic. European officials were scrambling to play catch-up Thursday to understand the reasoning behind the ban. The U.S. Mission to the European Union declined to answer questions about how they were explaining the restrictions to their European colleagues. | |
| Most of Europe woke to the news in shock on Thursday morning, and markets plummeted in the aftermath of the White House announcement. | Most of Europe woke to the news in shock on Thursday morning, and markets plummeted in the aftermath of the White House announcement. |
| Live updates: Trump’s coronavirus travel ban slams global markets; Americans face widening restrictions | Live updates: Trump’s coronavirus travel ban slams global markets; Americans face widening restrictions |
| In Britain, the benchmark FTSE 100 index, which tracks the 100 largest firms on the London stock exchange, fell after Thursday morning on news of Trump's travel ban. The steep sell-off brought the FTSE to its lowest level in eight years. Both France’s CAC 40 index and Germany’s DAX index fell by more than 6 percent by midmorning Thursday. | |
| The details of Trump’s travel restrictions also confounded many European leaders and policymakers, underscoring the view that the decision was largely political. There was also confusion in interpreting the announcement: the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published a full list of targeted countries, but as of Thursday morning the U.S. State Department had not fully updated its travel advisories. | |
| France, for instance, figured on the CDC list but the State Department’s France travel advisory mentioned only potential risks from frequent demonstrations, not covid-19. | |
| But most importantly, Trump announced a ban on flights from the Schengen area, European Union's border-free travel zone, a 26-nation region that does not include Britain or Ireland. The European Union has been a regular target for Trump's ire, and he has praised Britain for quitting the bloc. But there are more cases of coronavirus in Britain than in many of the countries covered by the ban. | |
| Some in Europe wondered on Thursday if Britain and Ireland were exempted because they contain Trump-owned properties. In any case, the decision appeared to confound even leaders of the British government and former U.S. homeland security officials, who said that scientific evidence did not support travel restrictions. | |
| “With regard to flight bans we are always guided by the science as we make our decisions here. The advice we are getting is that there isn’t evidence that interventions like closing borders or travel bans are going to have a material effect on the spread of the infections,” Rishi Sunak, Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, told the BBC on Thursday morning. | “With regard to flight bans we are always guided by the science as we make our decisions here. The advice we are getting is that there isn’t evidence that interventions like closing borders or travel bans are going to have a material effect on the spread of the infections,” Rishi Sunak, Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, told the BBC on Thursday morning. |
| Thomas P. Bossert, a former U.S. Homeland Security adviser to Trump, also disputed the value of flight bans. | |
| “There’s little value to European travel restrictions. Poor use of time & energy,” Bossert said Thursday on Twitter. “Earlier, yes. Now, travel restrictions/screening are less useful. We have nearly as much disease here in the US as the countries in Europe. We MUST focus on layered community mitigation measures-Now!” | |
| In continental Europe, many felt that the White House’s decision sent a clear political message and would strike yet another blow at the heart of an already enfeebled transatlantic relationship between the United States and some of its closest allies. | In continental Europe, many felt that the White House’s decision sent a clear political message and would strike yet another blow at the heart of an already enfeebled transatlantic relationship between the United States and some of its closest allies. |
| “Trump needed a narrative to exonerate his administration from any responsibility in the crisis. The foreigner is always a good scapegoat. The Chinese has already been used. So, let’s take the European, not any Europe, the EU-one,” said Gérard Araud, France’s former ambassador to the U.S., in a statement posted on Twitter. “Doesn’t make sense but [it is] ideologically healthy.” | “Trump needed a narrative to exonerate his administration from any responsibility in the crisis. The foreigner is always a good scapegoat. The Chinese has already been used. So, let’s take the European, not any Europe, the EU-one,” said Gérard Araud, France’s former ambassador to the U.S., in a statement posted on Twitter. “Doesn’t make sense but [it is] ideologically healthy.” |
| In his announcement, Trump specifically referred to what he called a “foreign virus” that “started in China and is now spreading throughout the world.” | In his announcement, Trump specifically referred to what he called a “foreign virus” that “started in China and is now spreading throughout the world.” |
| The move added to the sense that the world’s industrial powers were failing to work with each other to contain the virus, and might even be working against each other. | The move added to the sense that the world’s industrial powers were failing to work with each other to contain the virus, and might even be working against each other. |
| Under previous presidents, the United States has often taken the lead in directing a coordinated global response to world challenges. Trump has sought to minimize the virus, undermine his scientific advisers and blame other countries for the pandemic. And he has also tangled with European countries — Washington’s closest allies — for three years on issues of defense spending, climate change and trade. | Under previous presidents, the United States has often taken the lead in directing a coordinated global response to world challenges. Trump has sought to minimize the virus, undermine his scientific advisers and blame other countries for the pandemic. And he has also tangled with European countries — Washington’s closest allies — for three years on issues of defense spending, climate change and trade. |
| That leaves little trust from Europe. Many policymakers said Thursday that the fact that the travel ban excludes Britain, where coronavirus is already spreading, but which is led by a populist leader who has sought to build ties to Trump, was a sign that the ban was political rather than driven by science. | That leaves little trust from Europe. Many policymakers said Thursday that the fact that the travel ban excludes Britain, where coronavirus is already spreading, but which is led by a populist leader who has sought to build ties to Trump, was a sign that the ban was political rather than driven by science. |
| Coronavirus now a global pandemic as U.S., world scramble to control outbreak | Coronavirus now a global pandemic as U.S., world scramble to control outbreak |
| “Any attempt to contain the #CoronaOutbreak is welcome, but the decision of @realDonaldTrump to exclude the UK from a European travel ban is nothing short of irresponsible,” wrote former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, on Twitter. “Viruses do not recognise borders. Decisions should be based on facts, not politics.” | “Any attempt to contain the #CoronaOutbreak is welcome, but the decision of @realDonaldTrump to exclude the UK from a European travel ban is nothing short of irresponsible,” wrote former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, on Twitter. “Viruses do not recognise borders. Decisions should be based on facts, not politics.” |
| Speaking to German public radio station Deutschlandfunk on Thursday morning, Michael Bauer, a German clinic director, said “the measures taken by Mr Trump are primarily politically motivated,” in light of the upcoming 2020 presidential elections | Speaking to German public radio station Deutschlandfunk on Thursday morning, Michael Bauer, a German clinic director, said “the measures taken by Mr Trump are primarily politically motivated,” in light of the upcoming 2020 presidential elections |
| “I think that especially the situation in the US — with very few tested individuals but, in relation to those tests, relatively many deaths — shows that only the tip of the iceberg is visible in the US, probably partially for political reasons,” said Bauer, according to a transcript by Deutschlandfunk. | “I think that especially the situation in the US — with very few tested individuals but, in relation to those tests, relatively many deaths — shows that only the tip of the iceberg is visible in the US, probably partially for political reasons,” said Bauer, according to a transcript by Deutschlandfunk. |
| Trump’s announcement led to panic at various European airports on Thursday morning, as American travelers in Europe scrambled to change their tickets onto U.S. bound flights at the last minute, often at premium prices. | Trump’s announcement led to panic at various European airports on Thursday morning, as American travelers in Europe scrambled to change their tickets onto U.S. bound flights at the last minute, often at premium prices. |
| The lack of a coordinated response seemed to extend inside Europe too, with the Czech Republic on Thursday announced limited border restrictions with Austria and Germany. The move came a day after Austria said that Italians could only cross its frontiers if they can produce a recent test certifying they are coronavirus-free. | |
| Quentin Ariès in Brussels, William Booth in London, and Rick Noack in Berlin contributed to this report. | Quentin Ariès in Brussels, William Booth in London, and Rick Noack in Berlin contributed to this report. |
| First, China. Then, Italy. What the U.S. can learn from extreme coronavirus lockdowns. | First, China. Then, Italy. What the U.S. can learn from extreme coronavirus lockdowns. |
| NBA suspends season after Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tests positive for coronavirus | NBA suspends season after Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tests positive for coronavirus |
| Mapping the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and worldwide | Mapping the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and worldwide |
| Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world |
| Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news | Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news |