The report focuses on the COVID-19 situation in the United States during the year 2020, which was also the last of the Trump presidency. That year, the country entered the COVID-19 crisis with a specific mix of strengths and weaknesses. As one of the world’s wealthiest and...

The Irish government introduced coronavirus-related restrictions relatively early on 12 March 2020, the day after the WHO declared a global pandemic. This entailed the closure of schools, limitations on economic and social activity, and the interdiction of large gatherings....

The report focuses on the COVID-19 situation in the United States during the year 2020, which was also the last of the Trump presidency. That year, the country entered the COVID-19 crisis with a specific mix of strengths and weaknesses. As one of the world’s wealthiest and...

Israel’s response to some aspects of the crisis has been a huge failure, to others it was mediocre, and on vaccination policy, it has thus far been a considerable success. As of mid-January 2021, Israel was a world leader in two respects. While Israel led the globe in the...

In Staaten, in denen die Medienfreiheit, Bürger und politische Rechte, die Unabhängigkeit der Justiz oder wichtige demokratische Werte schon vor der Krise ausgehöhlt worden waren, verfestigten sich unter dem Deckmantel der Coronakrise diese besorgniserregenden Entwicklungen...

The giant stress test produced by the pandemic has revealed the weaknesses and strengths of the Italian system. The health and economic impacts within the country was particularly severe due to the fact that Italy was the first European country to be hit by the contagion,...

In states where freedom of the press, civil and political rights, the independence of the judiciary and core democratic values were subject to erosion even before the crisis, these worrying develop ments became further entrenched as a result of actions taken in the name of...

Compared with other countries, and in particular other EU member states, Austria’s performance during the coronavirus crisis has not been unsuccessful. In terms of medical (e.g., infection and death rates) and economic indicators (e.g., unemployment), Austria’s performance...

The first major outbreak of coronavirus in Japan occurred following the arrival of the cruise ship “Diamond Princess” in Yokohama on 3 February 2020. A first wave of infections hit the country, stretching from about March to early May. A second wave followed in July to...

Belgium, even more than the rest of Europe, was hit very severely by the COVID-19 epidemic. The exact reasons for Europe’s poor performance will be debated for years to come, but available evidence already allows strong conjectures to be drawn. A first plausible factor is...