As the COVID-19 pandemic de facto delays the negotiations on the future trade deal between the EU and UK, the Union should use this time to draw the right lessons from the first phase of Brexit.

Surveying large swaths of the public for antibodies to the new coronavirus promises to show how widespread undiagnosed infections are, how deadly the virus really is, and whether enough of the population has become immune for social distancing measures to be eased. But the first batch of results has generated more controversy than clarity.

Virtual meetings are all well and good while Brussels perseveres COVID-19 restrictions, but will be insufficient to provide the same leeway that in-person decision-making does.

The EU’s response to COVID-19 has given plenty of ammunition to its opponents. Frontiers have been closed and supply chains broken as countries have put their own needs first. Trust among governments has diminished, with France and Germany banning medical exports in the early days of the crisis, to the fury of Italy, while the long-running north-south rift over the future of the eurozone risks widening into a dangerous chasm.

As the COVID-19 pandemic devastates the world, nuclear power plants must remain safe and secure to provide electricity for food supply chains, emergency response teams, hospitals, and telecommunications in countries home to more than half of all people. Meanwhile, the Islamic State terror group has already announced its intent to exploit the pandemic, and other violent extremist organizations are also taking pains to use the crisis for their own purposes.

Ahead of today’s vote in the European Parliament on a strong resolution to set the tone for the meeting of Heads of state and government next week and in light of the solid package of measures proposed on 9 April by the Eurogroup to support the European economy, I am confident the EU has now more than ever the chance and the obligation to rise from its ashes like the Phoenix.

Dear President, Honourable Members, there are no words that can do justice to Europe's pain or to all those suffering across the world. We think and we pray for all of the families in mourning. And we promise to each other that we will tell their stories and honour their lives and their legacies.

The COVID-19 pandemic will negatively affect the defence field from a budgetary, industrial and politico-strategic point of view, particularly in Europe. Depending on the pandemic’s duration, its economic consequences and national and EU responses, effects may range from contained damages to a much wider European security crisis.

European governments hope that contact tracing apps can allow them to ease lockdowns. But much work must be done at both national and EU level before restrictions can be eased.

Battered by grim headlines, horrifying statistics and deep uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic, many people worldwide are trying to lift their spirits by seeking out "good news." Sites specialising in upbeat news have seen a surge in growth in recent weeks. And Google searches for "good news" have jumped fivefold since the start of the year.