COVID-19 Pandemic, Crisis Responses and the Changing World: Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences

This book comprehensively analyzes COVID-19 and its impact as well as the response from the perspectives of humanities and social sciences. This book covers topics ranging from geopolitical relations to regional integration, public health governance and even the evolution of professional practices in the time of COVID-19. It constitutes a precious and timely interdisciplinary reference for anyone aspiring not only to grasp the origins and dynamics of the present challenge, but also to identify future opportunities for further growth and holistic progress for humanity. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

COVID-19 and the Political Economy of the European Union: New Crisis, Old Concerns

The COVID-19 crisis has clearly hit the European Union (EU) hard, and at its very heart: member states' governments have struggled to prepare and respond, while the whole regional block has lacked the coordinated action that would be expected of a cohesive, established and ambitious supra-governmental organisation. The present article investigates the impact of the pandemic on the political economy of the EU, reviewing some estimates of both the scope and depth of an economic downturn that bears a close resemblance the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. This timely analysis focuses, in particular, on Italy and Spain: flailing economies already registering stuttering growth and mounting public debt when the Coronavirus entered their borders in early 2020. Concerted solutions are available but require a convergence of intentions which are traditionally hard to come by, in a regional context marked by increasing diversity of economic performances. Further, the public health crisis posed by COVID-19 has brought out fissures in the integration process of Europe between low and high-performing economies. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been an extraordinary-albeit not entirely unpredictable-event that has profoundly affected various domains of society, right across the globe. Millions of lives have been endangered and lost, livelihoods have been threatened in both developed and developing nations, governance and business patterns have been severely tested and profoundly altered. A concerted effort to decipher the underlying dynamics at the core of this truly global crisis is essential to nurture the chance for a better future, in which international cooperation may be consistently fostered, development may be finally conceived as a holistic pursuit and our species' relationship with nature may be sustainably rebalanced. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.