Coronavirus Tests State of the Unions on Both Sides of Atlantic

The coronavirus crisis is thrusting governments on both sides of the Atlantic into a fiscal emergency along with the medical one, as the European Union and the U.S. grapple with how to assist their hardest-hit members without being dragged down by them.

In Europe, indebted Italy is in need, and in the U.S., it’s big states like New York and Illinois.

The geography and political systems may differ, but the problem is the same. Both economies boast central powers that want to avoid getting on the hook for the debts of the under performers. Republicans in Washington grumble about ...