The pandemic and what it sows for the political class

How can we measure the effectiveness of politicians when it comes to managing the coronavirus pandemic? In an interview with Kathimerini, Martin Lodge, professor of political science and public policy at the London School of Economics' Department of Government, tries to analyze what is at stake for governments, as well as the impact of the crisis on their political future.

What will determine the effectiveness of a government in managing this crisis?

It is difficult to tell. On the one hand, there will be the most immediate issues - how governments are seen to have supported their health services from not collapsing, or how one country compares with others in terms of death rates and economic/social consequences; on the other hand, there are also more long-term issues: will the rescue package avoid complete economic collapse, and how quickly will...