Corona Pandemic

The world is in crisis mode. A new virus known as SARS-CoV-2 is spreading rapidly in nearly every country in the world. It is highly contagious and, particularly for the immunocompromised, ill or elderly, it can be deadly. The number of fatalities is rising daily, and so far there are no medications or vaccines that can stop the virus. Many countries have therefore felt forced to impose so-called lockdowns: borders have been closed, residents must stay at home, and the entire infrastructure has been reduced to a bare minimum.
We at the IFSH are approaching the coronavirus pandemic from a security policy perspective and are seeking answers to questions, including the following: Have the security policy risks of life-threatening pandemics been underestimated in the past? Will the corona crisis lead to an increase in armed conflicts, and will it strengthen authoritarian regimes or criminal structures? Or, will the realisation that the crisis can only be overcome through cooperation lead to greater international solidarity?

 

  • Prof. Dr. Elvira Rosert

    COVID-19 and the question of opening borders

    Prof. Dr. Elvira Rosert

    Closures of interstate borders and restrictions on freedom of travel were among the first measures taken by states to halt the Covid 19 pandemic. But now, argues Elvira Rosert in an article for the…

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More on the Corona Pandemic

  • Zero-case strategy to lead Germany out of the Corona crisis

    Prof. Dr. Elvira Rosert

    The pandemic must end and it can end - this is the message of a strategy paper presented by an interdisciplinary team of researchers. They suggest a new direction: Containment efforts should pursue…

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  • COVID-19 Pandemic: Is Germany‘s Federalism a Blessing or a Curse for Fighting the Coronavirus?

    Helge Martin

    Are centrally organized or even authoritarian states at an advantage over federal systems or liberal democracies in general when it comes to fighting the pandemic? Especially at the beginning of the…

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  • The Corona Pandemic and its Impact on Military Spending - Blog post

    Prof. Dr. Michael Brzoska

    The current Corona crisis obviates the potential for massive impacts of non-traditional security risks. In addition, it has also revealed the lack of preparedness for such a major event. In a…

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  • Why Coronavirus gives organized crime momentum to shine and flourish: a blog post

    Dr. Janina Pawelz

    In several Brazilian favelas, gangs and militias took matters into their own hands, spreading information on curfews and other restrictions via social media and patrolling the streets to ensure…

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    Janina Pawelz
  • The corona crisis as socio-ecological shock: a blog post

    Dr. Judith Nora Hardt

    In reference to the caricature “A statistically correct illustration of life on earth and other insignificant things” this text brings the corona-pandemic and its respective health security measures…

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    [Translate to English:] Judith Nora Hardt

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