First paragraph: COVID-19 is an unprecedented doom loop between a severe health crisis and grave economic repercussions. Government interventions to handle the outbreak and its aftermath first stopped public life in its tracks and then entirely reshaped it. This has left us in a kind of “new normal”, in which social interactions and labour conditions will probably never be the same again.https://theconversation.com/how-covid-19-is-shaping-the-way-europeans-think-about-politicians-14689

Daniele, Gianmarco

Sas, Willem

Stirling Online Research Repository

AuthorsWillem SasLecturer, Economics Division, University ofStirlingCloseAcademic rigour, journalistic flairCOVID-19 is an unprecedented doom loop between a severe health crisis and graveeconomic repercussions. Government interventions to handle the outbreak and itsaftermath first stopped public life in its tracks and then entirely reshaped it. This hasleft us in a kind of “new normal”, in which social interactions and labour conditionswill probably never be the same again.An experimental research study suggests that when people are thinking about thehealth crisis, they express less trust in politicians and political institutions such as theFind expert insight and analysis, from coronavirus toclimate change, in our daily newsletter.Sign up nowCafe workers in Amsterdam watch a government press conference. EPA/Remko De WaalHow COVID-19 is shaping the way Europeans thinkabout politiciansOctober 28, 2020 11.01am GMTGianmarco DanieleAssistant Professor at University of Milanand Executive Director of the CLEAN Uniton the economics of crime at BocconiUniversity, Bocconi UniversityEuropean Union. That’s even more the case when they are thinking about theeconomic ramifications of the situation we are all currently experiencing.This is what the findings from four online surveys conducted in Italy, Spain,Germany and the Netherlands as part of the study suggest. The surveys wereconducted well into the first wave of the epidemic (May-June) and had more than2,000 respondents per country.Some respondents were first asked about their experience of the COVID crisis, andthen asked about their political opinions. They were asked, for example, if they knewanyone who had been diagnosed with COVID, and whether they were concerned about their health.That meant that, for this group, the health crisis was put front and centre in their minds. Theiranswers were then compared with respondents that were not given such “priming” questions at thebeginning of the survey and were therefore not necessarily thinking about the pandemic. “Primed”respondents were 5% less likely to trust their national politicians and 12% less trustful of theEuropean Union. When asked whether their country benefited from EU membership, they were 10%less likely to reply “yes”.Fight back against disinformation. Get your news here, directfrom expertsWhen posed priming questions about the economic consequences of the crisis, such as on job securityor future opportunities, respondents were even more disappointed in their political institutions. Theywere also less willing to give up personal freedom in exchange for individual and public safety.Similar bolts of “disillusion” have occurred before, often in the wake of natural disasters or economicshocks. Such events will always overwhelm political institutions to some degree. Clearly citizensexpected their institutions to be better prepared for the shock of the pandemic, and to be quicker onthe ball to manage its fallout.Get newsletterThis disillusion also seems to chip away at another pillar of society, as the survey shows that supportfor financing the welfare state with taxes also goes down. This is true for all spending categories –poverty alleviation, health expenditure, unemployment benefits and pensions – and coincides with ahigher dissatisfaction with the general tax burden.The return of the expertThe news isn’t all bad though. Support for scientists and experts was 8% higher among respondentsprimed to think about health and economic issues first. This is especially true for the group receivingadditional priming questions that cast the crisis as a conflict. When respondents were asked whetherthey perceive the crisis as a struggle against an invisible enemy, and whether they see nationalsolidarity as the best way forward, support for competence and expertise rose by a whopping 28%.This result suggests a “rallying around the flag” effect is at play as well, to some extent mitigating thedisillusion effect. Precisely because a crisis is an extraordinary event, citizens are more easily unitedaround a common cause and are willing to put their shoulders under any kind of competent crisisresponse with enthusiasm.A new political divide?Surprisingly, and although we learn from the survey that faith in political institutions and the EU iswavering, “populist” attitudes have weakened as well. Support for a strong leader to deal with a crisisdecreased by 5% for all primed respondents. They were also 5% less keen to let the “people” make themost important policy decisions instead of politicians. Support for populist political parties, ifanything, is in retreat too.Students in Rome protest against coronavirus measures. EPA/ Angelo CarconiEurope Trust Coronavirus European politics COVID-19 Coronavirus insightsIn line with these findings, the latest polls show that populist parties are losing ground across Europe.This suggests that we may have reached a critical juncture, with the crisis potentially pushing oursocieties onto a different path.Of course, the way in which governments manage the economic recovery and the resurgence of thevirus in the months and years to come will be a crucial factor here. It will be interesting to see if therising demand for competence that the survey uncovers, is met in the future. Or whether the“disillusion” effect of the crisis is eventually channelled in renewed, or even bolstered support for populist parties.In this sense, a new fault line in the political arena may be opening up, setting simple policy solutionsagainst the complexity of nuanced, yet competent approaches.Before you go...The coronavirus outbreak is causing confusion and panic, and misinformation isrife. For clear explanations on everything you need to know about the pandemic,come to The Conversation: a global network of over 90,000 experts to draw on,providing evidence-based advice. Support our brand of independent, not-for-profit journalism.Clint WitchallsHealth + Medicine EditorDonate now

How COVID-19 is shaping the way Europeans think about politicians

First paragraph: COVID-19 is an unprecedented doom loop between a severe health crisis and grave economic repercussions. Government interventions to handle the outbreak and its aftermath first stopped public life in its tracks and then entirely reshaped it. This has left us in a kind of “new normal”, in which social interactions and labour conditions will probably never be the same again

Stirling Online Research Repository (RIOXX)

https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/retrieve/4095331a-a402-4ad4-89ff-f69cb24dbead/Sas-Conversation-2020.pdf

How COVID-19 is shaping the way Europeans think about politicians

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Stirling Online Research Repository

Stirling Online Research Repository (RIOXX)