While the world is preparing to deal with the repercussions
of the pandemic, post-COVID challenges may be expected to include, besides
poverty, economic hardship, unemployment, and social and political frustration,
the impact of the conflict in Ukraine, particularly on the energy sector and
the supply chains of certain materials that the two countries have large
reserves of.
اضافة اعلان
While the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is clearly
multi-dimensional, it has brought into focus the role of the state. After years
of evolution and opening of markets through globalization, we are beginning to
see some of the problems of a more interconnected world.
One of the major challenges of the past few decades has been
the role of the state in an increasingly globalized world, but in a
post-pandemic world, when war has returned to Europe, we are seeing
consequences on the daily lives of citizens across the world that are raising
questions about the role of the state.
National governments claim supreme and exclusive authority
over their citizens, but if people feel that their governments cannot satisfy
their basic needs or protect their incomes and quality of life, the concept of
the nation state might be put into question.
If governments have very few options to address the concerns
of their angry citizens and cannot help people meet their basic needs, the
whole system could break down.
Governments must find a way to protect people from
inflation, guarantee a decent income, and exercise control over local markets
and prices — everything the state used to influence and control in order to be
perceived as an equalizer and protector of people.
National governments claim supreme and exclusive authority over their citizens, but if people feel that their governments cannot satisfy their basic needs or protect their incomes and quality of life, the concept of the nation state might be put into question.
This is not a question of the historic state practices and
norms that constitute the Westphalian system; it is just guaranteeing a decent
quality of life for citizens and protecting them from outside interference.
After several decades of globalization and a limited role of
the state in education, healthcare or even social policies, questions are
raised about the real impact of globalization on a country with limited
resources.
Called into question is the ability of the state to deliver
on the promises and necessities that people expect.
People may not see the logic in increasing prices because of
a crisis elsewhere in the world. They more likely expect their government to
have a plan in place to manage inflation and control prices, to avoid chaos and
panic.
In a moment of crisis, people want to see strong actions
from their government, actions that positively impact their lives.
In a country like Jordan, such measures should be clear,
fast, and decisive. A fragile economy dependent mostly on imports requires such
effectiveness and decisiveness in controlling the internal scene.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that countries should
have their own strategies to face internal challenges resulting from global
crises; the state playing a major role and the need to think locally should
have been a priority.
Jordan needs a government that works to guarantee that
Jordanians are not victims of continuous problems, that can secure their basic
needs, and that is not exploited by a small group of people.
The cooperative model, local production and new strategies
to ensure food security should be top priorities of any Jordanian government.
The Ukrainian crisis following so closely on the heels of
the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that crises could persist, so it is imperative
to take a new approach that guarantees internal stability and limits the
negative impact of global changes, above all on energy and food production, and
on local industries.
The writer is a Jordanian university professor and
geopolitical expert. He is a leading columnist in national, regional, and
international media, offers consultancies to think tanks and speaks at
international conferences on Middle East politics and developments.
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