European Championship final in England: Johnson’s political machine and the consequences

The European Championship has left scratches on the image of co-host England: What stuck with many – wrongly – is the image of a rowdy, cocky and unsporting country.

67,173 spectators at the European Championship final at Wembley Stadium, 15,000 shortly before at the tennis final at Wimbledon, 140,000 are expected next Sunday at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone – the British government currently knows hardly any limits when it comes to returning going to normal before the pandemic. Under all circumstances, she wanted to hold the last week of the European Championship in Wembley – not least because she is hoping that the World Cup will be held in Great Britain and Ireland in 2030.

Your argument that the rapidly increasing number of infections no longer leads to a similarly high number of serious Covid diseases as was the case in the previous waves is plausible. On the other hand, it is not plausible that she lets all the precautionary measures go: In theory, 67,173 corona-free fans should have been sitting in Wembley Stadium, because upon entry they either had to prove complete vaccination protection or a current negative corona test. In practice, however, you could cheat a lot with this test – in the end no one could say whether the ticket holder actually carried out the test himself and whether all the information on the online feedback was correct. And therefore nobody can say how many infected people were among the audience.

Even less, how many infected people were among the tens of thousands who lay in the squares, in front of the pubs and in the halls of the country, first happy and then weeping in their arms. Mask requirement and distance rules were rather vague ideas. This shows that it is simply not enough to appeal to voluntary self-regulation, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to do. Unfortunately, it is to be feared that the regulation-resistant prime minister will stick to his plans anyway.

Johnson contributed to the harsh tone

And unfortunately, the Johnson administration is not entirely innocent of the rabble, abuse and abuse that three dark-skinned English players are now experiencing on the unsocial part of social media. No, of course I would not accuse Johnson and his government of active racism. But Johnson’s flamboyant political machine, with its exclusion, polarization and half-truths, has itself contributed a great deal to the tone that is now spreading.

Johnson and his Home Secretary Priti Patel, who stands for a tough, restrictive immigration policy, have put the “Black Lives Matter” movement in the corner of left-wing extremists and expressed understanding for the boos against their own national team when they – in a gesture against racism – Kneeled a few seconds before the games. One would have wished for a similar commitment from Johnson and Co. to the values ​​of this gesture – and a determined appearance against booing of the opposing national anthem by English fans as it is now against the rabble on the Internet.

An incomplete picture that gets stuck

This European Championship left scratches on the image of co-host country England. What stuck with many on the continent is the image of a rowdy, cocky and unsporting country. This picture is wrong because it is incomplete – but unfortunately it is also part of the whole picture.

However, one should not draw the conclusion in Germany that this United Kingdom is a country that is racially contaminated through and through. This society has achieved an enormous integration achievement over centuries, with millions of immigrants from all states of the Commonwealth. Many athletes take a clear position here like few in international sport. Everyone who looks down on this land should think of that too. Age-old rule: if you point your finger at others, remember that three fingers are pointing at you.