| UPDATED: 11:48, Mon, Feb 1, 2021
Link copied Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The European Commission President led a small task force of officials, mainly from her own team, to draw up the plans in relative secrecy. The blueprint was circulated to her entire team of commissioners only 30 minutes before they were due to approve it. Within minutes of being published online on Friday, the export ban drew criticism for its dramatic attempt to tear up the Brexit divorce deal and impose a hard border on the island of Ireland to prevent vaccines leaking into Britain.
1 Feb 2021
The German media has continued to criticise the EU’s handling of its vaccine programme, headed by the country’s former defence minister, with an editor from Germany’s largest-selling newspaper calling it the “biggest confidence-destroying programme in its history”.
Bild‘s Peter Tiede remarked that while Europeans mocked “those strange Brexit birds with the weird Euro-populist Boris Johnson at their head”, the bloc and Germany are not laughing now, as it is “struggling with a vaccination disaster”.
The UK, which decided not to remain part of the EU’s European Medicines Agency, was the first Western nation to approve a vaccine and has vaccinated over 13 per cent of its population, while the EU has struggled to protect on average two per cent of the EU27’s inhabitants.
Updated: 31 Jan 2021, 10:31
Invalid Date,
THREE major players in Europe find their heads on the block today over their disastrous Covid jab roll-out.
4
Germany has given out 2.2 million doses while the UK has vaccinated 8.8 million - pictured is German Chancellor Angela MerkelCredit: Getty Images - Getty
And European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces huge pressure after her bungled attempt to impose a hard vaccine border on the island of Ireland.
It comes as Eurosceptics in the UK predicted the ultimate destruction of the EU within the next few years.
Tory MP Peter Bone last night said: “The EU has long-term problems partly due to its its undemocratic nature.
“The fundamental importance of this situation has been completely underestimated.”
German newspaper Bild also lashed the EU as columnist Peter Tiede claimed the contract signed with AstraZeneca was “a declaration of bankruptcy for Brussels, an indictment of the 27 member states. An insult to Europe and all of us”.
Over in France, Mr Macron faced more backlash after he incorrectly said the AstraZeneca vaccine was ineffective for people over 65
Newspaper Le Figaro pointed out the UK s success as it ran with the headline: “Vaccination: Brexit 1, Brussels 0”.
EU countries including France and Germany have trailed behind the UK in vaccinations (Image: EXPRESS)