What would global, national and local governance look like once Covid-19 is under control? A key emerging lesson from the current phase of the pandemic crisis is that the national state is still a relevant actor for these circumstances as the main epicenter of mediating the response against Covid-19. While governance remains diffused, some form of a “coherent” state has led the response, with some interesting cleavages related to subnational governments. A different issue altogether is the capacity of each national state to respond to a multi-dimensional crisis that does not discriminate borders or institutional structures, and whether this capacity will hold for the next phase. A sort of paradox has emerged that raises questions about how governance systems will use authority/political power, capacity, and public policy to manage and mitigate the Covid-19 crisis. What about multi-level governance? A new pattern of governance models are beginning to emerge across countries based on the Covid-19 response. These models seem still amorphous, combine some features of the classic governance models with the national state at the center, but at the same time have new emerging features, such as political power being used differently in different levels of government, new patterns of cooperation and competition within national boundaries, new capabilities that are much less state-centered, and civil society and citizens with different patterns of trust towards government. So, has the pandemic finally confirmed the crisis of current governance systems and is signaling the need for a “renewed” 21st-century governance we all have been waiting for?
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