Multilateralism in the European Union’s Actions During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic posed a significant challenge to the European Union's commitment to multilateralism. Despite being severely affected by a public health crisis and its far-reaching social and economic consequences, the EU did not withdraw from its international engagement. On the contrary, the Union’s external actions—most notably through the Team Europe initiative and its co-leadership and participation in the COVAX facility—demonstrate its continued role as a promoter of multilateralism and its active engagement in supporting global solidarity and cooperation.

The analysis conducted in the article—based on selected EU documents, speeches and positions of EU Commissioners, official press releases, and relevant academic literature—illustrates how the Union, despite its limited competences in the field of health and an initial lack of internal cohesion, managed to maintain and further develop its multilateral engagement, both at the EU level and on the global stage.