Garcevic Writes Op-Ed in BalkanInsight on COVID-19

 

Ambassador Vesko Garcevic, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published an op-ed in BalkanInsight entitled “Balkans Face Same Problems, Only Worse, Once Pandemic Ends.” The article was published on May 4, 2020.

The op-ed argues that the Western Balkan states have succeeded in saving people’s lives but once the COVID outbreak is over all the old challenges in the form of economic difficulties, democratic deficits, and uncertain EU perspectives will return, and possibly magnify.

Excerpts of the article:

Three theses are being used often to describe current world trends. Under the first, the US has missed its chance to act as a leader of global efforts to formulate a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m not sure whether this is the first global crisis where nobody looks to the US to lead, but the pandemic is indeed shaking bedrock assumptions about US exceptionalism.

The second thesis is that, after an initial “Chernobyl-style” response, China is stepping up as a global leader in the pandemic. It is positioning itself as a strong supporter of the WHO, promoting itself as a world provider of humanitarian assistance and touting the success and superiority of its state measures in curbing the outbreak.

The third thesis is that the Chinese lockdown may have been draconian, but its strategy seems to have worked. Many leaders, particularly authoritarian ones, look with admiration at China as a role model. The coronavirus outbreak has prompted them to believe that it may reshape the global order, as democracy has proven “ineffective in the case of crisis”.

The full op ed can be read here.

During his diplomatic career, Amb. Vesko Garcevic dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as a Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School.

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