Nunca es buen momento para que la pandemia se recrudezca o para que aparezca, como ha ocurrido, una nueva variante del virus de la que todavía hay más incógnitas que certezas. Pero esta vez la nueva ola de contagios—cuarta o sexta, según el país— y la mutación ómicron del coronavirus han cogido a Europa en un muy mal momento: a Germany, con un Gobierno en funciones; a Portugal, con elecciones en poco más de un mes; en France, Emmanuel Macron tiene un horizonte electoral complicado con la ultraderecha al acecho, mientras en Italy Mario Draghi se está pensando si se muda del Palacio Chigi al Quirinal para asumir la presidencia de Italy. Incluso fuera de la Unión Europea, el primer ministro del United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, tropieza con dificultades y ha visto esta semana cómo algunos diputados de su partido se rebelan contra las restricciones.

Not a week has passed since the omicron variant appeared and the debate on mandatory vaccination has already been opened on the channel, although at the moment there are no enough data to confirm whether it is more transmissible or escapes the effectiveness of vaccines."Thinking about a mandatory vaccination is a necessary debate," said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, when he talked about this measure that several countries study, including his, Germany.German politics recalled that in Europe there are still 150 million citizens without vaccinating, one third of the population.

But that debate is not peaceful, as seen more than a week ago in Austria, Holland and Belgium, where protests against restrictive measures ended with disturbances.Nor is it within some governments: in the German coalition that will increase to power, the liberals were recently remitted.Legal doubts are there and opening that discussion throughout the European Union can lead to converting the measure into a problem where it is not (Spain, Portugal and Italy have very high vaccination rates).

The range of measures goes beyond punctures.To the suspension of flights that the twenty -seven approved for seven countries in southern Africa it is added that Ireland and Portugal have already announced that they will ask for PCR tests to vaccinated travelers, although they come from EU members, and Spain raises a quarantine for those who haveState in contact with those infected by the new variant.The necessary measures to stop the extension of the coronavirus also arrive at a bad time in Poland.The Think Tank Eurasia remembers that the vacuation rate of this country is low, that hospitals are full and that the government coalition has one more party to the right than the pee opposite to the restrictions.

And on this scenario of political uncertainties, the uncertain recovery is also aggravated with the omicron, as the OECD said on Wednesday.A new shake to the world economy would arrive on very accentuated imbalances, as is being seen at the exit of the crisis, and with a volume of debt that in the euro zone reaches 100% of GDP and the reaction margin is closely narrow.

United Kingdom. El primer ministro del United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, ha optado por aplicar gradualmente —con tibieza, comparado con otras capitales europeas— las nuevas restricciones contra la pandemia.He has done much more in response to the concerns expressed by British businessmen, who fear that the alarm unleashed by the omicron variant ruins the Christmas campaign, than before a possible rebellion within the conservative party.A total of 32 deputies voted against the new measures last Tuesday, especially knowing that the legal provision preserved the emergency powers of the government until the end of March, despite the fact that Johnson had promised that everything would be reviewed again inThe three -week period.The conservative deputy Christopher Chope complained: "All this is part of an alarmist propaganda campaign designed to curb the interaction between the social animals we are"."The objective is to suppress the freedom of the individual and social contacts," said Chope.

The truth is that new measures are relatively warm. Desde el martes pasado se recupera la obligatoriedad de mascarillas en comercios y transporte público; los viajeros que lleguen al United Kingdom deberán someterse en las primeras 48 horas a una prueba de PCR —ya no vale la de antígenos— y permanecer aislados hasta conocer el resultado negativo, y cualquiera que haya estado en contacto con un contagiado con la variante ómicron deberá hacer una cuarentena de 10 días.It is this last disposition that most soliviant to the rebel deputies, who remember how last summer the cases of tracked people and forced to lock themselves into their homes were shot. Johnson cuenta, de todos modos, con el respaldo de la oposición laborista, que le exige incluso ir más lejos: quieren mayor periodo de aislamiento para los viajeros que lleguen al United Kingdom y una PCR negativa previa al viaje.The expert committee that advises the government has suggested that quarantine extends five days, although the newcomer is doubly vaccinated and its PCR has given negative on the second day.

Germany. El cambio de Gobierno en Germany ha afectado a la lucha contra la cuarta ola de la pandemia, que el miércoles dejó la peor cifra diaria de fallecidos desde febrero, con 446 víctimas.The rapid propagation of the virus and the growing saturation of the hospitals in the most affected areas have added pressure to the formation of a new tripartite executive led by the social democrat Olaf Scholz, with the greens and the liberals.The acting chancellor, Angela Merkel, meets this Thursday with Scholz and the leaders of the federated states to agree on new restrictions in what will be one of her latest decisions before leaving office.Measures will harden to reduce contacts, probably ordering the closure of the nightlife, the prohibition of mass events and limitations for non -vaccinated ones, such as the presentation of the Covid passport not only to enter restaurants but also in non -essential trade.

General mandatory vaccination is one of the issues that are on the table, especially after Scholz has manifested in favor of imposing it from February.The proposal, which in principle did not have the approval of the liberals, has forced its leader, Christian Lindner, to turn in position until accepting that idea in view of the low vaccination figures.There are still 14.4 million adult Germans without immunizing.The parties are expected to give freedom to vote to their deputies when the matter reaches the Bundestag.Several liberals will vote against.

Nor the opposition - or not all: the ultra -right of AFD, yes - is against.Outstanding conservative leaders, such as the president of Bavaria, Markus Söder (CSU), has publicly requested it.However, the still Minister of Health, Jens Spahn (CDU), is reluctant, among other things because it is a future measure that would not relieve the complicated current situation.Intensive care doctors alerted Wednesday that for Christmas the ICUs could reach 6.000 admitted patients, above the peak last winter.

Italy. Italy comienza a intuir una nueva oleada de restricciones a las puertas de Navidad.The transalpine country was from before summer one of the most restrictive in the West, forcing the vaccination certificate for all public activities: to attend shows, access gyms and consume in bars and restaurants.In the month of September, in addition, that measure was extended to the workplace, which aroused strong protests and divisions in the Executive.But restrictions have increased since then. El presidente del Gobierno de Italy, Mario Draghi, anunció la semana pasada que dicho certificado, que antes podía renovarse con una prueba negativa de dos días de antigüedad o habiendo pasado la enfermedad, solo será válido a partir del 6 de diciembre con las dos dosis de la vacuna.But those who received that second injection more than nine months will have to put the third if they want to continue enjoying those spaces.All these measures have awakened from the beginning tensions with the right. La intuición de que pueden ir acompañadas de cierres, restricciones o nuevos horarios para la actividad comercial, especialmente en regiones del norte de Italy como Alto-Adigio, ha generado ya algunas protestas en los partidos de la derecha como la Liga de Matteo Salvini.

Portugal.The country attends an escalation of infections that reminds the most critical moments of the pandemic, although without the serious and lethal impact it had in previous waves.Last Tuesday 4 were counted.670 cases, a fact that was not reached for months.Mortality and gravity data are, however, far from the worst records thanks to vaccination.The prime minister, the socialist António Costa, warned Wednesday that more restrictive measures could be taken for Christmas if the infections continue to grow.On December 1, Portugal entered the state of “Calamidade”, which hardens the measures to enter the country and access closed premises: Test for discos and bars, certificates for restaurants and cultural enclosures with assigned armchair, among others.The Government has also decreed a “containment” week from January 2 to 9 with mandatory teleworking, postponing of the return to school and closing bars and discos, although mobility will not be limited or the rest of commercial activities.At the moment, the government has found consensus in its decisions.Before taking the new measures, which were partly proposed by technicians, Costa met with all the matches.

As for the debate of mandatory vaccination, in Portugal it is not on the horizon: the country has more than 86% of the population with the complete pattern and has undertaken an accelerated race to inoculate the third dose to the elderly population.If the wave aggravates, the omicron runs runs and raised a possible confinement, it could find the rejection of the opposition, which would also face an acting government waiting for the new electoral appointment, scheduled for the 30January.

France. A cinco meses de las elecciones presidenciales en France, la aparición de la variante ómicron ha caído como un jarro de agua fría en el Gobierno de Emmanuel Macron, que desde el verano lo ha apostado todo a la vacunación masiva y el pasaporte covid, y que acaba de acelerar la administración de las dosis de refuerzo en la población adulta.Except in overseas regions such as Martinica or Guadalupe, protests on these measures seem to the past: the demonstrations that in August brought more than 200.000 people to the streets have been diluted until almost forgotten.

But the great fear is that vaccines do not serve the omicron, which would collapse the official strategy."It could be terrible in public opinion," a Macron Minister anonymously admitted anonymously.The news that the prime minister, Jean Castex, tested positive in Covid despite having completed his pattern has not helped.“Who is more dangerous?Who is not vaccinated but has a negative test and goes to a restaurant or who has the Covid being immunized, like Castex and goes to the same restaurant?The health passport is useless, ”said the ultra -right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Hace justo un año, France salía de su segundo encierro pandémico, pero aún tardaría meses en recuperar cualquier viso de normalidad: museos, cines, teatros, bares o restaurantes permanecieron cerrados hasta bien entrada la primavera y los franceses vivieron largo tiempo bajo un toque de queda estricto.A few months after the appointment before the polls, repeating that scenario would be catastrophic for Macron.

Netherlands.The Dutch government considers the introduction of three types of COVID passports to access work, education and leisure, and has submitted to this law to Congress.It is a delicate proposal, given the effect it would have when making distinctions among the population.Would close or hinder the passage to those who have not been vaccinated, which has already caused political tensions and social rejection.In addition, the Executive is acting since the resignation of the liberal government in block last January due to the scandal of family subsidies, and must have the approval of the Chamber to apply political measures of great draft.

Hasta la fecha, las restricciones exigidas en Netherlands —desde el toque de queda a principios de año a los cierres parciales que entraron en vigor este domingo— han sido recibidas con diversos grados de rechazo.The extreme right of Thierry Baudet is anti -vacacunas and rejects impositions of this class.The touch touch imposed in January 2021 before the advance of the alpha variant had not been approved since World War II.The Government invoked a law that grants extraordinary powers and does not require the participation of Congress or the Senate.It was endorsed by Congress, but unleashed a wave of generalized disturbances that resulted in about 600 arrests.This November new street riots reflected the accumulated tension during the crisis.In origin, the protest was against the possible imposition of the pass only for vaccinated and those who have passed the disease, but the feeling of lack of individual freedom and social discomfort was used by very violent criminal groups, according to the police.A phenomenon that the government already has in its radar.