Covid-19 als Weckruf? Plädoyer für eine neue Politik öffentlicher Güter

Covid-19 has shown that the future of democratic society depends on our willingness and ability to invest in public goods. The article makes a plea for strategies that will strengthen the public sector and those employed there. Investments must take into account the local situation and the necessity for new regional infrastructure and community cohesion. Those who back these public resources must put more trust in the soundness of our institutions rather than the solidarity of its citizens, although the two aspects cannot be separated, as is illustrated by the ongoing discussions about the relationship between the State and civil society. However, a new policy on public goods must build on the sustainability of the institutions and ensure that they are constitutionally and democratically sound – instead of relying on the organisation of moral communities and the goodwill of the citizens in the hope that the crisis will bring forth better individuals. Covid-19 as a wake-up call? That is not an appeal to higher levels of insight, but rather a practical call to strengthen and utilise already existing resources in our society.