Decisive 2022

The perception of time and space that we have in Europe is very different from that in other regions of the world such as Arab, American, African or Asian countries. Indeed, customs, way of life, culture, beliefs and livelihoods have their own characteristics and peculiarities in every part of the world, which means that analyses and comments must always be filtered when dealing with a situation. 

In the case of the coronavirus, it is a challenge, one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced, and one that has forced different peoples and regions to adopt measures with more or less risky decisions, but with the common goal of putting an end to the damned pandemic. After two years of the scourge of the coronavirus with its different variants, we can consider that the best way to put an end to the pandemic that has caused so many deaths, that has caused so much mental damage and with a desperate economic and employment crisis in most countries, would be to vaccinate the entire population of the world.

We can calculate the high cost and logistical problems involved in vaccinating at least 85% of the world's population, and there are bound to be crass selfish interests in putting up obstacles to this, but the damage of all kinds is far more serious and destructive if every so often we are hit by a new variant such as Omicron and forced to close businesses, paralyse the economy, undermine confidence in the system and self-esteem in ourselves and condition the way we relate to each other in every way, from the most personal and emotional to the economic and work-related. 

The year 2022 is a decisive year when it comes to putting an end to the pandemic, which is undoubtedly one of the most serious causes of our problems, but we cannot and should not delude ourselves if we only place our problems in the pandemic. Both on a personal and societal level, the crisis of principles and values has for years been leading to a serious degradation of our behaviour; the lack of effort and sacrifice in our personal and collective fulfilment opens doors to the superficial and absurd, massively disseminated through social networks and taking advantage of new technologies; and structurally we are behind in making key decisions to strengthen and defend our democratic system based on liberal democracy, which has provided so much stability, progress and development in Spain, in Europe and in many parts of the world. This 2022 begins with France in the rotating presidency of the EU. The objectives expressed by President Macron are key for the future of Europeans.