Pandemics and Systemic Risk

Specifically, DERISK will scrutinize how the spread of pandemics as a systemic risk reshapes the traditional roles of scientific expertise and health policymaking, particularly evident in the emergence of scientific advisory bodies wielding significant influence over coercive state policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DERISK will examine the international dimensions of systemic risk governance, assessing how pandemics like COVID-19 reinforce national boundaries while other global risks such as climate change and financial instability demand cross-border collaboration. This inquiry will involve analyses of the mechanisms through which systemic risk governance interfaces with international institutions and agreements, with a particular focus on exploring the implications for supranational bodies like the European Union. Core questions remain unanswered as to how pandemic risk governance challenged the growth of global cooperation and whether or not democratic and global cooperation to govern pandemic risks can be achieved.

In tandem, DERISK's investigation into the democratic implications of pandemics ventures into underdeveloped territory within political theory. By scrutinizing the tensions inherent in expertise during public health crises, the project will contribute to debates about inclusive and transparent scientific decision-making processes. DERISK will probe the ethical and normative dilemmas surrounding democratic institutions' responses to systemic health risks, including the balance between individual liberties and collective well-being, as exemplified by debates surrounding vaccine passports and lockdown measures.

Notably, DERISK's research agenda extends beyond theoretical inquiries to encompass specific policy responses to pandemics. While the project aims to offer broader theoretical insights into the transformative impacts of pandemic risks on democratic politics, it also prioritizes the analysis of concrete policy interventions such as vaccine mandates and lockdown measures. This approach ensures that DERISK generates research outputs capable of informing both theoretical debates and practical policy considerations in the realm of systemic risk governance.