The idea of “vaccine” or “health passports” was once labelled a “conspiracy theory.” For millions of Europeans, it is an authoritarian nightmare now coming true.
The “EU Digital COVID certificate” or “EUDCC” was unveiled in June to little fanfare and scarce media scrutiny.
The digital version can be stored on a mobile device and EU citizens request a paper version. Both contain a QR code with extremely private information, as well as a digital signature.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen curiously announced: “Today the European Digital COVID certificate reassures us of this spirit of an open Europe. A Europe without barriers. But also a Europe that is slowly but surely opening up after most difficult times of pandemic. This certificate is a symbol of an open and digital Europe. We developed this certificate in record time. It will make travel in our union easier and it will give Europeans back the freedoms they value and cherish so much.”
The curious part? Claiming that movement is “free” when it literally costs hundreds of millions in taxpayer cash to develop, and, as Von der Leyen even admits in the latter part of her statement: freedom.
Watch:
The digital certificate will:
- Cover Covid-19 vaccination, test, and recovery;
- Be free of charge and available in all EU languages;
- Be available in a digital and paper-based format;
- Be secure and include a digitally signed QR code.
Nine member states originally signed up, with 12 announced on June 14th. A further three are expected to join the ranks soon, with some outlets such as CNN even considering American citizens joining the scheme.
“Right now if you’re an American, not living in the EU, you could get the certificate if you ask the national authorities of a member state to give you that certificate based on some proof that you’ve been vaccinated, or had a recent Covid test,” an EU spokesman told CNN.
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, and Spain are currently deploying the system, with the rest of the 27 total EU member nations set to begin from July 1st.
The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union on June 23rd 2016, and will therefore not be part of the EU’s authoritarian measure.
The news comes despite columnists raging against vaccine passports as a “conspiracy theory”:
The Times of London’s Hugo Rifkind railed against liberty-minded citizens using the cringeworthy portmanteau “Covidiot.”
Now, his claims of just seven months ago have proved who the real “Covidiot” is.
