Democracy and the state of emergency
Publisher: Fredrich-Ebert -Stifung
Volume: 46 pages, pdf
Description:
After an initial shock of the arrival of the Corona Virus in Europe and in the region, governments have taken a robust approach in containing the spreading of Covid-19. The severe measures, in many instances a State of Emergency, have been successful in preventing the often already weak healthcare systems from collapse. There might have been a short moment of unity between the government and the opposition in the beginning. But soon afterwards, we could witness how the fight against the Corona pandemic has been becoming more and more of a political battle inside the countries of the region. In addition to the debates about economic measures to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic, the traditional debates are re-emerging, in many countries – like North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro – this has meant a return to toxic polarization. The opposition has been accusing the governments of misusing the crisis to advance its political agenda.