Day: 29 May 2020

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How COVID-19 is eroding civil liberties and damaging society 

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By Javier Dichupa, student at the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria

Civil liberties are essential in the proper functioning of any democracy. The unprecedented scale of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities in our democracies. The situation in Spain and Italy during the peak of their pandemics highlighted the ease in which governments were able to suspend the civil liberties of their people. Questions should be raised regarding what happens when civil liberties are suspended for extended periods and democratic legitimacy.

The suspension of civil liberties in Spain and Italy was justified by the public health crisis occurring. The strict lockdown in these countries undoubtedly saved many lives and slowed the spread of the virus. Furthermore, it bought time for the beleaguered health care systems in their fight against the virus.

Unfortunately, how the governments of Spain and Italy went about enforcing their lockdowns was very problematic. In Spain, crippling fines were threatened and levied against those who broke the new restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, the armed forces were also used to aid the government in enforcing the lockdown. This approach relied heavily on coercion to achieve its objective, and coercion can only ever be used as a short-term solution.

As with Spain, Italy’s approach to enforcing its lockdown was similar. Police and military personnel were heavily relied on to keep people at home. Fines were also used as a tactic to implement the lockdown. Italy was one of the first European countries to face a large-scale outbreak. therefore, it has had to endure one of the longest lockdowns in the Union.

Coercion was a common factor in the Italian and Spanish lockdowns. As such, the use of fear and intimidation to achieve the objectives of the government is dangerous. Coercive force degrades the legitimacy of governments in the eyes of the people. When civil liberties are suspended, people’s right to express themselves is also curbed. Making it difficult for governments to gain insight from their people.

Another unintended consequence of the heavy-handed lockdowns was the effect they had on the poorer members of society. The use of security forces to keep people indoors was especially problematic for those who did not have the option to work from home or were ineligible for benefits. This further stigmatized many groups as they were subsequently forced to use means outside the law to survive. These issues were seen in the less prosperous south of Italy and among the temporary worker communities in Spain.

The decline in civil liberties has far-reaching effects that touch on all parts of society. These reductions make it difficult for people to express themselves, eroding the relationship between the authorities and people. Once civil liberties are reduced or removed, it is very difficult to restore them. As such, the president set regarding the suspension of civil liberties during the COVID-19 pandemic is problematic.

We live in unprecedented times, and the spread of COVID-19 must be stopped if life is to return to normal. We must remain critical of the actions being taken to deal with the virus. Governments need to walk a fine line balancing civil liberties and public health. Though, if they continue to do so while curbing the civil liberties of their people, it could create long term issues for the health of their democracies.

Citations:

Studdert, David M., & Hall, Mark A. “Disease Control, Civil Liberties, and Mass Testing – Calibrating Restrictions during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” The New England Journal of Medicine 1, no. 1 (2020): 1-3. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2007637

“Photos and videos reveal brewing unrest in southern Italy as lockdown make people desperate for cash and food.” BuinsessInsider, 25 May. 2020, https://www.businessinsider.com/italians-desperate-for-cash-food-amid-coronavirus-lockdown-2020-4.

“650,000 fined for breaking Spain’s Coronavirus lockdown.” The Olive Press, 25 May. 2020, https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2020/04/13/650000-fined-for-breaking-spains-coronavirus-lockdown/.

Pic: Civil Rights 50th Anniversary March / Photo credit Sinn Féin

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Can COVID-19 Be Taken as An Opportunity to Improve our policies?

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By Ethan Quilty, student in Computer Science and Marine Biology at the University of Victoria

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19

The onset of the COVID19 pandemic has been swift. In just a few months, the world is a completely different place than the one we knew in 2019. We now face a long period of uncertainty. When will we travel again? When can we go to school again? But, most importantly, when will we stop this virus? Amidst all the uncertainty and ambiguity of this period, it is important to use the old cliché and look at the positives. As a self-proclaimed optimist, I believe there are many.

Being confined to your home is not an ideal situation; Furthermore, being unable to meet friends and family in person is equally upsetting. The loss of physical contact and activity is extremely difficult, and many see the confinement as an empty time to be filled with media consumption and make-work projects. I argue that it is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes that led to this situation and prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring, or at the very least, to be prepared for the next one. In addition to instigating a catastrophic global tragedy, the pandemic has exposed some areas of particular political importance. Namely, the environmental crisis has seen some positive impacts from this virus. Reduced vehicular traffic, scarce air travel and fossil fuel operations have all contributed to vastly reduced emissions levels in some of the hardest-hit countries, namely China and Western Europe. Here in British Columbia, reduced marine traffic has seen Salish Orcas and some juvenile whales travelling further into the port of Vancouver than they have been seen in hundreds of years. These are only some of the many examples that can be found of positive environmental impacts that are the result of this pandemic.

HOW WE CAN IMPROVE

The implementation of policies reducing vehicle usage and fossil fuel consumption could help us get on track to improving the environment. These types of actions will require policies that take a new approach; putting the environment first. Should policies be implemented that do not favor large companies and infinite economic growth, we could see a rise in environmental stewardship and improvement work. Studies have shown that climate instability has caused a great increase in zoonotic diseases like SARS CoV2. This really is only the beginning. Perhaps one more great thing to come from this pandemic is how it has shown the ability of nations to work together and get things done. Opposing political parties are more unified in pushing forward aid programs and directives than ever before – so why couldn’t this be applied to the environmental crisis? If a unified and directed approach can be taken on this, many of the problems we face could be lessened or eliminated altogether.  Though COVID19 can be labelled as a public health crisis, its roots are far deeper than that. It has shown that if we cannot improve our practices, such as seriously fighting climate change or limiting our insatiable economic consumption,then humanity will certainly encounter more pandemics.

Citations:

Zambrano-Monserrate, M. A., Ruano, M. A., & Sanchez-Alcalde, L. (2020, April 20). Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720323305

 

 

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What the European Responses to COVID-19 Say About Integration

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By Alina Sobolik, student at the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria

Critical observers have noted the lack of solidarity present in EU Member State actions following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe. When Italy called for help it was met with silence from its fellow Member States, eventually receiving supplies from China. The situation has been analysed as evidence of a disjointed union, lacking the solidarity it claims to be built on and heading toward political turmoil.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR INTEGRATION? 

However, this situation points to the advanced stage of integration that the EU has achieved. Member States are behaving as entities within a federal state rather than individual states in a crisis. Within a federal structure, the federal government is trusted to ensure equality among states and react effectively to crises. It is the federal government that is responsible for implementing a coordinated response, enforcing solidarity and ensuring the well-being of each province. The role of the provinces in this situation is to defend their own interests and ensure that their needs are being heard and addressed at the federal level. Importantly, the provinces do not feel responsible for the well-being of other provinces.

While the Member States responded selfishly to the COVID-19 crisis, the European Commission responded by stating that “we are all Italians” and implemented a comprehensive plan to protect the economy and the citizens.

LOOKING BACK

When the refugee crisis hit Europe in 2015, a number of Member States acted in solidarity but were not rewarded by the Commission as it attempted not to over-step its jurisdiction or infringe on Member State sovereignty. The result was a weak and disjointed response which was not implemented equally. Learning from this experience, the Commission took up a stronger leadership role in the COVID-19 response. Creating a system wherein Member States do not have to be held responsible for the well-being of other Member States because they have already provided the institutions with the jurisdiction and funding required to respond effectively.

LOOKING FORWARD

Furthermore, the Commission’s comprehensive response plan expands the competencies of the institutions to areas previously untouched and suggests the possibility of a fiscal union in the future. The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived reaches European citizens directly in a way that EU initiatives in the past have not by providing vouchers and home deliveries directly to citizens. The Temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) provides funding to extend national job creation programs, taking a direct role in providing employment insurance to European citizens. While the European Central Bank already produces country-specific recommendations for taxing and spending, the COVID-19 response reaches out directly to citizens.

Citations:

Braw, E. (2020, March 18). Europe’s Coronavirus Response: Selfish Member States and Active Institutions. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://rusi.org/commentary/europe-coronavirus-response-selfish-member-states-and-active-institutions

ANSA, R. (2020, March 11). We’re all Italians – von der Leyen – English. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2020/03/11/were-all-italians-von-der-leyen_d1d4067c-c9ed-4b8c-96c9-2dd0f4fcfd5a.html

Overview of the Commission’s response. (2020, May 25). Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/overview-commissions-response_en