Bojan Pancevski
Journalist, Author, Germany Correspondent for the @WSJ. Private acc. Tweeting from & about Europe. Get in touch: bojan.pancevskiATwsj.com Open DM
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As Coronavirus Rebounds, Europe Rejects New Lockdowns
As a second wave of coronavirus infections gathers momentum across Europe, the continent’s governments are determined to avoid large-scale lockdowns and instead seek less disruptive ways to live with the new disease.
How a Russian Gas Pipeline Is Driving a Wedge Between the U.S. and Its Allies
The Nord Stream 2 undersea gas-transport project is a bone of contention with Washington, which fears it will make Germany too reliant on Moscow. “Angela, you got to stop buying gas from Putin.”
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Bojan Pancevski
Lots of talk about #NordStream2 including some fanciful, ill-informed assumptions about what #Merkel thinks and what the current govt could do. Here’s all you need to know
10d
Germany Boosts Investment in Covid-19 Vaccine Research
The German government said it would pour €750 million in grants into three local companies developing coronavirus vaccines, bringing the nation’s total bet on such research to more than €1 billion, as nations race to develop an inoculant that would...
Serbia, Kosovo Agree to Normalize Economic Relations
The two Balkan nations are working to resolve a decadeslong dispute that once prompted a U.S. military intervention in the region.
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Bojan Pancevski
Serbia & Kosovo, two quarreling Balkan nations, agreed to normalize economic relations. Officials from both countries said the implementation could depend on whether Trump gets reelected. With @rebeccaballhaus via @WSJ
21d
China’s Diplomatic Offensive in Europe Yields Meager Results
A Chinese diplomatic offensive to improve ties with Europe and counter U.S. influence has failed to yield clear gains so far.
Schools in Europe Reopen With Little Debate—but More Masks and Distancing
European countries are pushing ahead with reopening schools despite an uptick in coronavirus cases and new studies suggesting children could be more susceptible to the disease than originally thought.
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Bojan Pancevski
Most European authorities are reopening schools, admitting it was a mistake to keep them closed for so long & determined not to have blanket closures again even as #coronavirus infections are on the rise. Our report via @WSJ
43d
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Bojan Pancevski
The reopening of schools in Europe is supported by teachers’ unions, as well as many parents. There’s no evidence that young children are driving the epidemic and there’ve been no school-related outbreaks in day-care centers and elementary schools wsj.com/articles/schoo… pic.twitter.com/lnfxHPGRiM
42d
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Bojan Pancevski
“School closures are only effective if we want to damage our children,” said Prof. Wieland Kiess. He coordinated a study that showed isolation at home is damaging the mental health of children, especially those from poorer families.
42d
How Angela Merkel’s Change of Heart Drove Historic EU Rescue Plan
The German chancellor, swayed from her long opposition to handouts, pushed through the European Union’s agreement to offer €750 billion to help members counter the coronavirus’s economic devastation.
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Bojan Pancevski
#EU's historic move to boost members with common borrowing was made possible by Angela #Merkel's Damascene conversion (helped by @EmmanuelMacron @OlafScholz etc). This is the inside story of how it happened: wsj.com/articles/angel… via @WSJ
66d
Pope 'pained' by Hagia Sophia mosque decision
The Pope is the latest faith leader to voice concern at the Istanbul museum reverting to a mosque.
Balkan Countries Thought They Had Beaten Back Coronavirus. Now Infections Are Rampant.
Coronavirus infections are surging in southeastern Europe and some other regions that had initially managed to curb the pandemic, and some governments are facing protests as they restore confinement measures.
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Bojan Pancevski
Balkan govts flattened the curve with early lockdowns. Croatia even had no new cases for a while. Then came election campaigns, and authorities quickly reopened everything including potentially super-spreading mass events. My @wsj report
77d
WSJ News Exclusive | German Biotech Sees Its Coronavirus Vaccine Ready for Approval by December
BioNTech, which has partnered with Pfizer to develop a coronavirus vaccine, is confident it will be ready to seek regulatory approval by the end of the year, its chief executive said.
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Bojan Pancevski
German Biotech Firm Sees Its 'Coronavirus Vaccine Ready for Approval by December.
But @BioNTech_Group CEO warns it could still take a decade to fight back virus that has now infected millions, despite global efforts and rapid progress wsj.com/articles/germa… via @WSJ
78d
Artists and Writers Warn of an ‘Intolerant Climate.’ Reaction Is Swift.
An open letter published by Harper’s, signed by luminaries including Margaret Atwood and Wynton Marsalis, argued for openness to “opposing views.” The debate began immediately.
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Bojan Pancevski
The @nytimes writes up the letter warning against erosion of free speech that cited the firing of their own editorial page editor as a prime example of it. And they sought but did not get a comment from their own spokesperson
80d
China forces birth control on Uighurs to suppress population
The Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population, even as it encourages some...
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Bojan Pancevski
#China's government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among #Uighurs and other minorities as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population, including forced intrauterine devices, sterilization and even abortion, @AP reports
89d
Masks Could Help Stop Coronavirus. So Why Are They Still Controversial?
As countries begin to reopen their economies, face masks, an essential tool for slowing the spread of coronavirus, are struggling to gain acceptance in the West. One culprit: Governments and their scientific advisers.
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Bojan Pancevski
Masks help against #coronavirus, but confusing government advice and cultural misgivings may have limited the West’s acceptance and use of face covering during the #COVID19 pandemic. Our report via @WSJ
90d
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Bojan Pancevski
Still getting angry mail about this article, and yet the debate about whether or not masks are useful was settled over a century ago - and opponents at the time died of serious diseases such as Manchurian Plague and Spanish Flu 1/4
80d
Rise in Coronavirus Cases in Berlin Fuels Concern About Second Wave
A rebound in Covid-19 cases in Berlin and elsewhere in Europe is fueling concerns among public-health authorities about a second wave of infections following the lifting of lockdowns across the continent.
Coronavirus Is Taking a High Toll on Sweden’s Elderly. Families Blame the Government.
Discontent is growing over official triage guidelines that critics say too often deny elderly patients vital care.
Coronavirus Contact-Tracing Apps Launch Across Europe Amid Hopes for Broad Adoption
Germany became the largest Western country to launch a contact-tracing smartphone app to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, but the app’s effectiveness will depend on how many people use it.
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Bojan Pancevski
Germany became the largest Western country to launch a contact-tracing smartphone app to help curb the spread of the #coronavirus on Tuesday, but the app’s effectiveness will depend on how many people use it.
wsj.com/articles/coron… via @WSJ
102d
Life-saving coronavirus drug has been found
Experts say there should be no delay in getting the cheap drug to patients after "fantastic" trial results.
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Bojan Pancevski
The first life-saving #coronavirus drug is the cheap steroid dexamethasone: for patients on ventilators it cut death risk from 40% to 28%. For patients needing oxygen it cut death risk from 25% to 20%
102d
Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
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Bojan Pancevski
“More than five decades after his arrival, after he’d written 30 books in German and married a German wife, the locals still treated him like a foreigner, whereas during his brief stints at American universities he felt right at home” @andreaskluth
105d
A Rainforest, Maya Ruins and the Fight Over a Tourist Train
Mexico's president wants to boost the economy on the Yucatán peninsula. Conservationists say more tourism will damage the ecosystems.
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Bojan Pancevski
A fantastic multimedia package from my @WSJ colleagues: A Rainforest, Maya Ruins and the Fight Over a Tourist Train wsj.com/graphics/rainf… via @WSJGraphics
106d
Scientist Behind Sweden’s No-Lockdown Policy Says It Wasn’t Strict Enough
The epidemiologist behind Sweden’s controversial decision to forgo a mandatory lockdown conceded for the first time that more restrictions might have helped prevent a surge in coronavirus-related deaths.