EU and national crisis management: Governance tools, public discourses and decision-making processes

Abstract

Since the end of 2019, a global health crisis has been holding the world in suspense. Exposing humanity to an unknown perception of emergency risk, fragility and uncertainty, but also of interconnection and interdependence of our societies, the pandemic has challenged some of our very basic understandings concerning rights and liberties, power, stability, security, and solidarity. The uniqueness of the crisis requires us as political sociologists to reflect upon the very changing dynamics between politics and society, state and democracy, citizens, scientific authorities and political elites; between the national state, supra-/transnational institutions and the international sphere. In response, this panel addresses EU and national crisis management during the pandemic from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. In particular, it asks to what extent do national and EU responses to the Covid-19 outbreak reflect citizens’ perception of the crisis and attitudes towards crisis resolution. It does so by looking at public discourses and narratives that are mobilised by the EU and/or national governments during the pandemic, and in EU institutions in general. It explores parallels to previous crises, such as the financial crisis in 2008, in terms of decision-making at EU level and thereby, addresses issues of solidarity and knowledge production in times of crisis.

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