SAFE-19 | Solidarity in the COVID-19 Crisis

The governments’ mitigation measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented in our post-war history. For overcoming this crisis, citizens are expected to act in solidarity in order to control the spread of the virus and keep public health systems functional. At the same time, they are called to cope with confinement, limitations of their freedom (movement, religion etc.) and economic activity. SAFE-19 provides a social sciences perspective on the concept of solidarity which has become a central claim for the fight against COVID-19.

What are the sources and the scope of solidarity when society as a whole is faced with nearly impossible trade-offs? and What are the conditions that enable a political community to act in solidarity and support solidary measures within the nation state and within the EU? Using different trade-offs, the project examines how societal solidarity is addressed, reflected and socially perceived in the different phases of the crisis. The closure of large parts of the retail trade and gastronomy, perceived as a "lock-down", play just as important a role as compliance with the obligation to wear a mask and different attitudes towards vacation trips and their possible follow-up costs.