The Bundestag in the Pandemic Year 2020/21 – Continuity and Challenges in the Covid-19 Crisis

Abstract

The Bundestag is a key institution in the parliamentary democracy of Germany. Assessing its role in the Covid-19 crisis considers how it adapted to secure parliamentary continuity. Comparing the activities during the pandemic to the year before shows institutional stability and high continuity of legislation and oversight activities but severe challenges to parliamentary communication. To properly understand the role of the Bundestag in the Covid-19 crisis, this analysis draws upon both quantitative and qualitative data and considers formal and informal paths of parliamentary influence. It reveals that a more nuanced assessment of the Bundestag’s role in policy-making throughout the Covid-19 pandemic is in order, and that claims of Parliament having subordinated itself to the Executive appear overly alarmist and unsubstantiated by the available evidence. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of German Politics is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)