Populism in times of pandemics - A chance or danger for democracies?

In light of the global Covid-19 pandemic, not only health issues have been pushed onto the agendas of nation states but also questions of how to deal with the impact of the crisis in broader political terms. Thus, this publication addresses the subject of populism in times of pandemics and whether this (global) phenomenon preceding the outbreak of the Corona crisis poses a chance or danger for democracies. Perspectives from Germany, Hungary, Israel and Poland are presented as all four countries are not only affected by the health crisis (as are most countries around the world) but have also had to grapple with populist developments to varying degrees. The following articles provide a specific country perspective in addition to contemplating the possible effects of populism in times of crises more broadly.