From crisis to catastrophe: The death and viral legacies of austere neoliberalism in Europe?

Abstract

<jats:p> The COVID-19 pandemic is a global event, but what became apparent almost immediately was that while the virus seems indiscriminate, vulnerability and the capacity to mitigate its impact are not spread equally, either between or within countries. Years of austere neoliberalism in Europe have exacerbated inequality and precarity, acting as a ‘pre-existing condition’ onto which the virus has now landed. The question we ask is: when the pandemic subsides, can the underlying conditions of contemporary neoliberalism remain? And what may replace it? </jats:p>

COVID-19, the Climate, and Transformative Change: Comparing the Social Anatomies of Crises and Their Regulatory Responses

“…In both cases, what we have, and must live with in a foreseeable future, is a patchwork of more or less overlapping assemblies representing different spheres of authority; it is a matter of multi-level governance, including global institutions like the UN, World Bank, and WHO, international institutions like the EU other transnational arrangements, and national, regional, and local governments. While the potential exists for radical and progressive modes of governance to emerge from the pandemic, COVID-19 has, to date, triggered a regressive swing towards the primacy of national sovereignty [74]. However, paradoxically, the virus has, at the same time, made it obvious that we are all in a way "cosmopolitan", as people all over the world are affected and can follow the development of the virus visually on their mobile phones, computers, and TV screens, making us understand that we share the same fate and fears [75] (p. 79).…”

“…While mass unemployment is on the rise worldwide, we see an increased amount of voluntary efforts by individuals and multi-level civil society associations moving in to help those at risk of being hit by the health, social, and economic consequences of COVID-19. For example, people and organizations are giving support to professional health workers, delivering food and other necessities to old and sick people, and creating virtual networks to keep and nurture education, cultural, and social relations without physical contact [74]. Despite such impressive efforts outside the logic of state and capital, there is no doubt that the social consequences of the pandemic hit more heavily on the poor.…”

Exploring the Contradiction in the Ethos of Urban Practitioners under Neoliberalism: A Case Study of Housing Production in Chile

“…The novel coronavirus 2019 pandemic has made visible how inequality under neoliberal urbanisms became a key sanitary factor (Rose-Redwood et al 2020;Standring and Davies 2020). This situation is quite critical in cities, such as Santiago, where low-income districts are more prone to coronavirus-related deaths than high-income districts (Vergara-Perucich et al 2020).…”

Alternative Economies and Commoning Practices in Catalonia: Unpacking Ecoxarxes from a Social Studies of Economisation Perspective

“…The Covid‐19 pandemic has exposed many of the contradictions and inequalities of hyper‐global and growth‐oriented capitalism (Sheppard 2020; Standring and Davies 2020). Instances of resistance, alterity and economic experimentation have become more relevant than ever if we hope to fundamentally re‐shape economic exchange and envisage a future characterised by cooperation, degrowth and a stronger sense of solidarity instead of competition, profit and inequality.…”