THIERRY - REPORT FROM ROME

Pensioned of the European Commission and married to an Italian women, I am living in Rome for more than 10 years now. Nevertheless, I never stopped, teaching, giving conferences, writing, publishing and creating various projects of which a Center for the promotion of freedom of expression and political satire. Which means that usually I’m very busy and travelling frequently, although working the major part of my time in my office which hopefully is located in the same building than my flat. My nearest family (sons, grandsons, brothers, sisters and nephews)  is dispatched in seven countries: Italy, France, Belgium, UK, Germany, Switzerland and… Ecuador. 

Being confined, for 3 weeks now, didn’t change much my routine, except that I’m losing time reading several newspapers from various countries, information websites (specifically those tracking disinformation), and departing from my usual writings (I’m  trying to finish a new book) to respond to requests of publishing articles analyzing various economic or European effects of the crisis. I try to stick to that work load as a way not to think constantly about the fact that I’m now cut off my non Italian family, specifically from my children and grand-children, not knowing what I could do if ever they had problems. 

And this is now the case for my older son and for my sister, who both have light symptoms and have been put in quarantine. Obviously, the use of social networks – which I usually do with extreme scarcity – has become essential for exchanging information about everyone and empathy with all.

The fact not be able, to go walking on the Tuscany beaches, walk in the forest or go out to shoot photographs , as I do in normal times, is unpleasant but quite secondary as compared to the impossibility to go and see my family and not knowing when I shall be able to do it. This is for me the worst aspect of this crisis. 

But I understand that the strictest respect of confinement, social distancing and hygienic measures are probably the only way to slow down the diffusion of the virus, waiting for possible medicines, this respect is also the respect of the others and therefore  a social responsibility.  

All in all, I remain both optimist and fatalist for the issue of the crisis but much more anxious of what will happen after in social, economic, politic, geopolitical domain, but it would be too long to develop.

To conclude, as good political cartoons from my cartoonist’s network may permit to smile and reflect in the same time, I offer you some.  

(Fadi Toon Is Norwegian of Palestinian origin, Niels Bo Bojesen is Danish, Uber is Italian, Ramses is from Cuba, Michel Kichka from Israel)

All the best !

Thierry,
Rome, Italy