Covid-19 Hit Europe: Patterns of Government Responses to the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic erupting in 2020 represents the perfect storm for national political systems. The crisis that emerged in the wake of the pandemic is multifaceted in nature. It has fundamentally challenged political institutions, political processes and public policies. This chapter first outlines what governments respond to when responding to a crisis and how governments respond to crisis situations and review the emerging literature on government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. The second section discusses the three analytical dimensions highlighted by this book: (1) patterns of governance, (2) politicisation/depoliticisation and (3) government policy responses. The third section elaborates the unique compound comparative research design and mixed methods adopted by this book, while the final section outlines the structure of the book.