The Political Economy of Global Responses to COVID-19

Description

This book seeks to identify the reasons why some countries were more efficient and effective than others in responding to the COVID 19 pandemic, and why the global community failed to coalesce. What are the political determinants of the different state responses to the pandemic? Why was scientific advice rejected or ignored in many countries? What has been the role, respectively, of neoliberalism, populism, and authoritarianism in the making of Covid-19 policy? What role have each of these factors played in the uneven and clearly inadequate global response to the pandemic? In an effort to understand why some states failed to handle the pandemic properly, some of the literature suggests that populism is at the root of the current failure of international co-operation. The global financial crisis of 2008-10 triggered significant cooperation within the G-20, led by the combined efforts of the United States and China. These forms of cooperation have clearly disappeared in the context of the pandemic, not only with respect to economic policy but also in public health and management. The authors of this volume link the different state responses to the pandemic-- from its inception to the start of the vaccination campaign, and to the political regimes prevailing in each. In particular, the present volume focuses on a distinction between the responses of neo-liberal regimes, populist regimes and authoritarian ones. Contents List of Contributors Acronyms 1 Introduction: The Political Economy of the COVID-19 Crisis—Neoliberalism, Populism, and Autocracy References Part I Neo-Liberal States 2 Populism, Neoliberalism, and the Pandemic: The Tragedy of U.S. Policy Introduction Governance Crisis and the Politicization of the Pandemic Testing and Procurement Lockdowns Vaccines Neoliberalism and the Pandemic: The Deepening Crisis Neoliberalism and Health Care Macro-Economic Policy From Trump to Biden Conclusion References 3 Risk, Responsibilisation and the Political Economy of the Pandemic in the UK Introduction Establishing the Covid State The Arms-length State; Risk and Responsibilisation The Political Economy of the Pandemic Conclusion References 4 The Covid-19 Crisis: Global Competitive (Geo)Politics, Labour Regimes and the Case of Greece Introduction Competitive (Geo)Politics and Implications of the Pandemic Policies of Containing and Controlling the Pandemic Policies of Containing the Effects of the Pandemic Policies Dealing with the Consequences Caused by Measures Taken in Order to Contain the Pandemic Conclusion 5 An Exceptional Case: Sweden and the Pandemic Introduction The Swedish Strategy Initial Response The Changing Strategy Swedish Governance Structures Structure of Public Governance in Sweden: The Delegation and Accountability of Powers Crisis Governance and the Pandemic Understanding Swedish Pandemic Exceptionalism Leadership Within FHM The Weakness of the Government Public Culture: Trust, Rallying Around the Flag and Media Coverage Conclusions Contingent Causes Reflections on Crisis, Democracy and Accountability Appendix A: Press reports and statements by public authorities References Part II Populist States 6 The Pandemic Politics of the Bolsonaro Government in Brazil: COVID-19 Denial, the Chloroquine Economy and High Death Rates The Chloroquine Military-Industrial Complex and the So-Called Covid Kit Labour Relations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Development of Poverty, Salaries and Hunger Conclusions References 7 The Political Economy of Pandemic Management in India Introduction The Domestic Domain Inter-State Tussles According to Two Commentators The Pandemic and Federalism Religious Polarization Delayed Response and Power Politics Human Rights The Messy Second Wave Gujarat and Kerala as Two Models COVID-19 and India’s International Relations Health and Vaccine Diplomacy Summit Diplomacy Geopolitical Alignments Evacuation Conclusion References 8 A Tale of Two Crisis: The Impact of EU Response to the Pandemic—The Case of Italy Introduction A Tale of Two Crisis: The EU and the Response to the Euro-Zone and the COVID-19 Crisis Macroeconomic Response Public Health Response The Impact of EU COVID Response on Italian Politics and Economics From Giuseppe Conte to Mario Draghi: The National Recovery and Resilience Plan in Italy The Six Pillars The Vaccination Campaign in Italy Conclusion: What About the Future? Part III Authoritarian States 9 Authoritarian Crisis Response to COVID-19 in China Authoritarian Crisis Response Past Crises Health Care Provision Authoritarian Advantage? Sources Early Missteps and Institutional Impediments Rapid Shift in Response Effectiveness Top-Down Control and Cracks in Zero-COVID Conclusion References 10 Health and Vaccine Diplomacy in Russia’s Foreign Policy Introduction COVID-19 and Russia: A Matter of Foreign Policy Foreign Policy Through Health Diplomacy Russia’s Health Diplomacy Worldwide From Russia with Love: The Italian Case COVID-19 and the Post-Soviet Space Keeping Belarus Under Control Final Remarks Annex: List of Interviewees References Part IV Global Inequality 11 COVID-19 and Sub-Saharan Africa: Paradoxes and Very Tentative Conclusions on the Pandemic COVID-19 in Perspective “Normal Conditions of Life” and the Privileges of Wealth: African Realities Vaccines, Inequalities, and Efficacy 12 Conversation on Precarity: The Mutation of the Virus into a Public Health Risk on Equity Introduction Precarity and Equal Life Chances Post-Covid-19 Precarity and the Role of Isolation and Solidarity Conclusion References 13 Pandemic Co-pathogenesis: From the Vectors to the Variants of Neoliberal Disease Introduction Section 1: The Four Vectors of Neoliberal Disease The Vector of Neoliberal Neocoloniality The Vector of Neoliberal Inequality The Vector of Neoliberal Austerity The Vector of Neoliberal Legality Section 2: Two Variants of Neoliberalism Emerging from the Pandemic References Index