You might want to pin suspensions on the ludicrous and objectionable notion that bureaucrats in the EU are happy, if not eager, to sacrifice citizens' lives to protect The Project but there is a fundamental difference. The difference is that vaccination is an intervention. Suspensions are to prevent inadvertently actively causing harm. First, do no harm.
It isn't like they can use the suspension to account for delays due to their procurement policy if you are simultaneously making the argument that there are loads of vaccines waiting on shelves. So A) probably not a ploy to allow a bit of time to build up stocks, and B) not likely to be some sort of plan to never use the vaccines they do have just because some brits seem to think they are British.
Of course, since all politicians in eu countries are the devil incarnate with a vendetta against blighty, there might be an even more macabre Option C. However a more plausible reason would be that they are just following long-established procedures to protect their citizens and it will all be settled this week or next.
The EU have you good 'n proper, it's a sort of low resolution Stockholm Syndrome.
Do you really believe that if the AZ vaccine was French, that Macron et al would be behaving like this? Of course not. The EU is all about protectionism and Brexit has squared this overnight. They are politicising this. You talk to people in France and they question why the UK are pressing ahead with this dangerous vaccine, the narrative that comes from on high is exactly this.
They should be being servile and apologetic, not aggressive and defensive.
Day 1: 'We must stop exports of the AZ vaccine to Australia to preserve our supplies'
Day 2: 'The vaccine is dangerous and doesn't work'
Day 3: 'AZ have let us down with delivery'
Day 4: 'This vaccine causes clots.'
It'd be comical if it wasn't so tragic.
They've now arranged a meeting for Thursday to discuss is. Thursday!!? Thousands more people will have died across the bloc by then, but when your raison d'être is junkets and 2 hour lunches, then that seems fast.
Three quarters of countries in Europe have rising numbers of infections this week. The EU are fiddling while Rome burns.
They chuffed up the procurement and they are now going through a group ass-saving game of soggy biscuit, by pointing over the channel again. It's pathetically transparent to all who's eyes are open.
It's become clear that Brexit has been an absolute disaster for Europe. The only handbrake on the idiots who thought the Euro was a good idea has been removed.
They never learn from their mistakes just double down.
