crisis policy

Who deserves what in times of COVID19?

by Tijs Laenen

Nobody knows what the future holds for European welfare states. What seems certain, however, is that the current COVID19 crisis – after first creating a political consensus rarely seen before – is now opening up new debates about welfare deservingness that will spark intense political conflict in the years to come. This blog post reveals some of the most important deservingness discussions that are currently unfolding across Europe, using the Belgian welfare state as a telling example.

Contingent Learning in Times of Crisis: How Can Hirschman’s Hiding Hand Help Policymakers Face Current Pandemic?

By Mita Marra

During the current pandemic, I have been reflecting on the decision-making style of the Italian, and other European and North-American political leaders, mulling over how policy learning takes place in times of crisis. Contrary to national political stereotypes, I recurred to policy studies, cognitive psychology, and mostly Albert Hirschman’s theories to reconstruct how political leaders make decisions under critical conditions.

From Moral Hazard to Moral Opportunity. A Dialogue on the COVID19 Crisis and the EU

By Maurizio Ferrera, László Andor, Bea Cantillon, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser and Frank Vandenbroucke

Maurizio Ferrera – The COVID-19 crisis has suddenly reopened the long-standing controversy over solidarity between countries within the EU. Like ten years ago, when the sovereign debt crisis broke out, today the challenge to be addressed is a pan-European emergency. Back then it was feared that financial contagion would expand from South to North. Today all countries are infected with coronavirus: the risk is common; no country is more “guilty” than the others.