The Coronavirus crisis has been dominating the everyday life of people all over the world in unprecedented ways. In dealing with the pandemic, governments worldwide take extraordinary measures, such as contact restrictions, total surveillance of citizens, complete exit bans and the closing of borders. These measures have one thing in common: they represent a massive cut in the personal freedoms of citizens.
In this context, governments must make sure that they approach this crisis in a constitutional manner. Is there an appropriate balance between protecting citizens’ health and curtailing individual liberties? What about exit strategies to ensure that the measures taken during the pandemic will eventually be lifted? How can we stave off the danger that undemocratic regimes use the crisis as an opportunity to expand their power and to curtail the freedoms of their citizens longer than necessary, or even permanently?
We will tackle these questions in our web-talk series “Pandemic. Panic. Politics – Democracy in Times of Crisis”. In the fifth edition on 18 June, 14:00–15:00 (CEST), featuring India and the Philippines, we will discuss the challenges of fighting the pandemic in light of increasing infection cases, high poverty rates and repressive government measures.
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