Welfarist or Neoliberist? The State Role During the Pandemic Era.

As long as pandemic wave spread, the scientific debate has even more focused on the role of the State. Coming from years of retreat in sectors like instruction, culture, wealth and, more in general, social and economic rights, the common sight of social and political scientists has growingly converged towards a mainstream view based on the so called Neoliberist thought: less State, more market, as to say the reduction of State power in favour of the gain of private actors which developed their business worldwide. The pandemic spread has undoubtedly enforced inequalities and poverties not only in the less developed countries, but also, and above all, in Europe and USA. This evidence has led to give more accountability to the above mention vision. But, is it really possible to assert this? Our hypothesis is that, contrary to the dominant vision, States not only strengthened their political power, but they have also begun a new “Great Deal” era based upon public investments concerning public health, infrastructure, economic transition and other seminal policies with the aim to support the consequences of the Covid-19 in terms of development and social rights. To corroborate our hypothesis, a multi-sources and multi-layer comparative approach has been adopted to study the actors, the contents and the measures assumed by national governments in front of the pandemia. Focusing on the analysis of both the reforms and the investments included in the design of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans, this study aims to confirm the relevant commitment of European and Usa governments to make any possible effort to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic, reaffirming their power as sovereign states. They have gained a new space of action in a new-born era. A conceptual grid has guided the qualitative analysis; data on investments and growth has integrated and made more precise the role of States in this deep change process (EU, Investment Monitor, 2021). The discussion of the abovementioned aspects will try to establish if this massive amount of financial resources will return outcomes in terms of a general and more equal growth, followed by a sensible turning point concerning social rights or they will be destined to reinforce and to consolidate disparity. In both these circumstances, the State power – and its role – seems to be strengthened rather than reduced as a common vision asserts.