A few weeks ago, no one would have disputed that the most relevant and evident trend in global politics was “go national.” Unilateralism and “zero-sum game” logic seemed to be the new normal. The prevailing views were “for me to win, I need you to lose” and “me first.” These phrases seemed to be the unequivocal and almost uncontested trademark of the century so far. Moreover, it was a trademark that had almost no limits in terms of geography and ideology. It came in many different shades but could be found on every continent, among every political orientation (including many varieties of unlabeled political movements), across a wide range of institutional systems, and even within some international organizations. This trend seemed to consolidate by the day, with few voices trying to argue for a more cooperative international approach, multilateralism, win-win solutions, a search for common ground, and community-based policies rather than a purely individualistic vision of society. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, putting at risk so many lives and shaking the very foundations of our everyday way of life, we need to ask if this paradigm will remain the predominant one. Is the pandemic going to reinforce it, or are there lessons we will learn? Can a virus challenge some of the assumptions on which the current global political landscape has been built? Is it going to make us focus on what really counts, on what unites us as humanity? Or is it going to further fuel the sense of fear and suspicion among and within communities, dividing us even more, increasing the level of toxic rhetoric and behaviors that have already poisoned our societies and partially paralyzed our collective capacity to act efficiently? Are we going to use this crisis as an opportunity to recognize some of the mistakes of recent years for what they are and adjust our trajectory at last to match the compass of reality? This pandemic is telling us a number of things loud and clear, if we are willing to listen. Here are a few of the very simple ones. 1. The global community is real. What happens far away has an impact — and a potentially vital one at that — here and now. A sneeze on one continent has direct repercussions on another. We are connected, we are one. All attempts to consider borders as dividing lines, and to classify people by nationality, ethnicity, gender or religious belief, all of this immediately loses any meaning when we are all equally exposed to the virus, no matter who we are. 2. I do have an interest in my neighbor’s well-being. If my neighbor has a problem, it is also my problem. So, even if I am not prepared to care about my neighbors simply for their sake, I’d better care about them for my own sake. Because in an interconnected world like ours, the only effective way to take care of yourself is to take care of others. Solidarity is the new selfish. 3. Global coordinated solutions are needed for global problems, desperately needed, and this requires an investment in international, multilateral organizations. If you think you can respond effectively to a crisis like the current one by only adopting national measures, you are doing what Italians refer to as “trying to empty the sea with a spoon” — in other words, a lot of effort with little result. For solutions to be effective, we need a systematic, coordinated effort at the global level, with adequate collective political and financial investments in the international multilateral organizational setup that is required to monitor developments, respond to them and prevent them from getting even worse. If you dismantle the credibility of international organizations and their capacity to act, they are less likely to be effective when you need them most, and you will be the one that pays the price. 4. Science-based political decisions are the only rational and useful way forward. Evidence is the only reliable point of reference we have. Fortunately, we have been investing in science for thousands of years — all around the world, no civilization excluded — and for very wise reasons. Any divergence from scientific, evidence-based decision-making, as a result of short-term political or economic considerations, is simply dangerous. 5. Health is not only a private issue, it is a public commodity. It is a matter of national — and even international — security, and of economic prosperity. As such, it requires both adequate and sustained public investment, and a collective sense of responsibility that every citizen is called on to demonstrate. Avoiding contagion is not only a life-saving must for individuals, it is also a vital contribution to the survival of communities and the functionality of public-health services and, ultimately, the state. 6. The global economy needs human beings to remain healthy. Investment in public health, science and research is an investment in prosperous economies worldwide. Production, consumption, trade and services — the basis of our economic system — need people to be healthy and safe. It’s the economy, stupid. 7. Well-functioning democratic institutions are vital to our lives. We take things for granted until we risk losing them. The way in which decision-making functions (or not) is the ultimate test in times of crisis. If democracy is perceived as a burden that slows, or even impedes, effective and fast remedial action, the argument in favor of more authoritarian systems of governance will grow stronger, with all the negative implications that would have for our rights and freedoms. Making democratic institutions work is an investment in our health, our security and our freedoms and rights. 8. Last, but not least, nothing is more precious and valuable than life. We sometimes forget this, especially when it is not our own life in question. This is sound common sense — so maybe it is time to go back to basics. Every crisis is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past, adjust policies, change course and fix things that previously we did not even admit were broken. It all depends on what individuals around the world decide to do, starting with those who have institutional and political responsibilities. But ultimately, all of us will need to decide. Will this crisis be used as an opportunity for short-term individual gains, including the usual scapegoating exercises, or will it be a wake-up call for the reality we are living in? It is not idealism, it is pure realism. • Federica Mogherini is a former high representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission, and Italian minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation. 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