- Introduction
- Background
Crisis management due to national disaster, global pandemic and various other emergency situation is an important governmental function that people look forward to. Especially, during the global pandemic caused by Covid-19, countries were tested in relation to their ability to manage crisis and control emergency situation. Some countries were able to do better than most others due to early preparedness for dealing with unexpected and unprecedented situations. In this regard, it is not necessary that a country with all the important resources would be successful in managing crisis and emergency situation since most developed countries failed to adequately manage the critical situation effectuated by the global pandemic. However, past studies have noted that the Nordic region showed more promise than most other bigger economies like the US, UK, China, India and several others. For example, a recent study found that covid-19 crisis management response from the Nordic countries were better than other countries for various reasons like better collaboration with neighboring countries which helped the government to assess the situation and implement policies accordingly in the early phase of the pandemic[1]. In this regard, Nordic Council of Ministers in its report on economic policy review noted that even though economic development in the Nordic countries reduced during the global pandemic like other adversely affected countries, however, countries like Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark experienced quick re-opening of commercial activities and successfully resumed economic development because of the strict measures taken by most Nordic countries to contain the impact of covid-19[2]. The findings of such studies reasonably imply that efficiency and constructiveness of the laws, policies and regulations of the Nordic countries in relation to crisis management and emergency powers.
[1] Ingrid Sperre Saunes, Karsten Vrangbæk, Haldor Byrkjeflot, Signe Smith Jervelund, Hans Okkels Birk, Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Ilmo Keskimäki, Sigurbjörg Sigurgeirsdóttir, Nils Janlöv, Joakim Ramsberg, Cristina Hernández-Quevedo, Sherry Merkur, Anna Sagan, and Marina Karanikolos, ‘Nordic responses to Covid-19: Governance and policy measures in the early phases of the pandemic’ (2022) 126(5) Health Policy 418.
[2] Nordic Council of Ministers, ‘Covid-19 effects on the economy in the Nordics’ (2022) Nordic Economic Policy Review, https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1665244/FULLTEXT01.pdf (accessed 12 March 2024).