Strict lockdowns imposed across the bloc last month to stem the spread of the deadly outbreak have all but frozen economic activity and put millions of lives on hold. For weeks, EU member states have struggled to remain united in the face of the pandemic, with governments squabbling over money, medical equipment and drugs, border restrictions and trade curbs, amid tense talks laying bare their bitter divisions. “In this crisis, an absence of solidarity could lead to Europe’s death,” Mr Valls told Europe 1 radio.