Germany’s Strategy in Handling COVID-19: The Role of National Leadership Strength and The Maximization of Welfare State Continental System Support - Siti Rokhmawati Susanto (Global Strategis, 2020)
Pandemi Covid-19 merupakan krisis kesehatan terbesar pada abad ke-21. Diawali dengan kemunculan virus ﬂu jenis baru di Wuhan-China pada Desember 2019, virus ini menyebar ke seluruh dunia dengan sangat cepat sehingga mengakibatkan kematian yang tinggi di seluruh dunia. Jerman merupakan salah satu negara yang terdampak pada periode awal virus muncul di Eropa. Setelah menyadari efeknya fatal, Pemerintah Jerman melakukan kebijakan nasional integratif mengatasinya, hingga Jerman perlahan keluar dari krisis. Fenomena ini disebut dengan “German exception”, karena banyak negara masih berjuang mengatasi pandemi. Paper ini meneliti strategi kebijakan nasional Pemerintah Jerman mengatasi Covid-19. Kerangka pemikiran yang dipakai adalah teori kepemimpinan nasional di masa krisis dan peranan sistem welfare state nasional. Argumen yang menentukan keberhasilan Jerman mengatasi Covid-19 adalah peran kepemimpinan nasional Kanselir Merkel yang visioner dan konsisten di masa krisis, serta dukungan sistem welfare state Continental yang dianut negara sehingga menguatkan masyarakat dan kestabilan politik nasional di masa pandemi.Kata-kata kunci: Jerman, Covid-19, kepemimpinan nasional, Kanselir Merkel, sistem welfare state Continental.The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest health crisis of the 21st century. Starting with the emergence of a new type of ﬂu virus in Wuhan-China in December 2019, this virus has spread throughout the world very quickly and resulting in high deaths worldwide. Germanywas one of the countries aﬀected in the early period when the virus emerged in Europe. After realizing its fatal eﬀects, the German Government carried out an integrative policy to overcome it until the German national came out of the crisis. This phenomenon is calledthe “Germany exception”, as many countries are still struggling with the pandemic. This paper examines the German Government’s national policy strategy to tackle Covid-19. The framework used is the theory of national leadership in times of crisis and the role of thenational welfare system. The arguments that support Germany in overcoming Covid-19 are the role of Chancellor Merkel’s national leadership, who is visionary and consistent in times of crisis and support for the welfare system of the Continental state is a state thatstrengthens society and national political stability during the pandemic.Keywords: Germany, Covid-19, national leadership, Chancellor Merkel, the continental welfare state system.