Foreign direct investment in Africa fell significantly in 2020 due to COVID-19. Independent of the success or failure of the EU’s Global Gateway infrastructure initiative, Africa’s governments can boost the region’s recovery, writes Policy Leader Fellow Umar Kabanda, by improving the conditions for public–private partnerships.

Initially the COVID-19 crisis appeared to put a halt to street protests and other forms of citizen engagement in Europe. But the pandemic has also increased the value of solidarity, motivating involvement on behalf of people at risk. EUI research fellow Ioana-Elena Oana and colleagues have explored the ways in which perceived threats and ideological predispositions have shaped how and when people mobilise.

Progressive taxes could be one positive outcome of Covid-19, as people demand fiscal fairness following a crisis. SPS researcher Jakob Frizell explores the parallels with war-time fiscal politics and the constraints on governments today to meet such demands. Taxing the rich, he concludes, is still the wise choice.

STG Policy Leader Fellow Gideon Sarpong proposes a transformative path to climate finance in emerging markets and developing countries, hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 is a dangerous and deadly disease. Economists Peter Hansen and David Levine argue that stopping or delaying vaccination with the AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines out of an “abundance of caution” is not worth the risk.

On 19 March, two days after the death of President John Pombe Magufuli, Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as Tanzania’s Head of State. STG Fellow Ibrahim Magara reflects on the transition, suggesting it reaffirms the country’s capacity for religious tolerance and the progress attained by women in African politics.

STG Policy Leader Fellow Costanza Hermanin argues that achieving sustainability through policy depends on the emergence of inclusive leadership.

All COVID-19 vaccines require refrigerated temperatures for storage. However, as Policy Leader Fellow Nathan Awuapila points out, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa don’t have the energy infrastructure necessary to guarantee these cold conditions.

World leaders are acting quickly to confront the COVID emergency, sometimes at the expense of established rules and procedures. RSC research associate Maria Patrin examines the fall-out earlier this month when European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen bypassed the Commission’s principle of collegiality in decision-making.

The ruinous effects of corruption on public trust know no national boundaries. Policy Leader Fellow Philip N. Gichana takes a look at the Kenyan case, where corrupt and futile procurement practices during the pandemic led to national outcry and a parliamentary investigation.