The corona crisis has so far led to rising approval ratings for governments, regardless of their track record in the fight against the virus. Executive emergency powers have been used to impose lockdowns, restore border controls and limit business activity. All of this has happened in order to prevent the spread of the virus, following expert advice from epidemiologists. The next instalment of the “Liberties in Lockdown” series will examine whether / how governments can be held to account in the current emergency.
Many corona-related decisions, often portrayed as “without alternative”, entered into force almost immediately after being announced – without sufficient time for consultation or weighing up alternative paths of action. Restrictions make it impossible for parliaments to properly debate the measures and to question their government. But how are these decisions scrutinised? Who holds governments to account? How can governments manage expectations regarding the accountability of their decisions during a crisis?
These questions, and many more, will be tackled by our distinguished speakers during the fourth online event of ELF’s new series – Liberties in Lockdown.
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It’s clear that COVID-19 will reshape our societies, and indeed our lives, in many ways. What will our world look like once the lockdowns have ended and the travel restrictions are lifted? Will we recognise our countries and cities; our neighbourhoods and friends? Will we recognise ourselves? For the next few weeks, each installment of the Liberties in Lockdown series will have a particular focus, looking at, among other things, the economy, digital privacy and healthcare. We hope you can join us for these important discussions.
Time: 9:30 – 10:30 (CEST)
Speakers:
Rik Daems, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe
Abir Al-Sahlani, Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group
Dr Katrin Auel, Head of the Research Group ‘European Governance and Public Finance’, Institute for Advanced Studies (Austria)
Moderated by:
Lauren Mason, Project Officer, European Liberal Forum
Opening remarks by:
Daniel Kaddik, Executive Director, European Liberal Forum
This event will be live-streamed on the European Liberal Forum Facebook page.
Organised by the European Liberal Forum.
