Biopolitics in the Time of Pandemic: Populism and Neoliberalism in the Light of COVID-19

Abstract

Populism is at the center of many debates about socio-political aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic However, pondering questions such as, “Is coronavirus bad for populism?” or “How do populist leaders respond to it?” is unlikely to bring significant insights into the distribution and operation of power in the context of COVID-19, or more generally The populist label is used by elites to describe any politics that they dismiss, whether right- or left-wing, rendering populism an empty and incoherent concept This point is supported by developments associated with COVID-19 as attitudes of “populist” regimes towards the pandemic varied and some of them followed the same strategies as those pursued by “non-populist” governments This article reveals the limited explanatory utility of the concept of populism and proposes shifting the focus of attention towards neoliberalism as a key factor shaping individual countries' responses to the ongoing biopolitical challenge © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2021