Abstrakt
During the pandemic, parliaments around the globe suffered a "double shock": they had to adjust to the challenges of the infectuous dissease and uphold or (re-)establish their roles with regards to the executive. A closer investigation of 27 parliaments in differetn political systems gives a first comparative account for their initial reaction to the crisis.
It is based on infromation from an ongoing collaboration of experts on parliaments and builds on a model of historical institutionalism. In some countries, significant measures were taken, including restrictions in palriamentary proceedings and moving some of them online.
Committees served as a field of experimentation for digitalizing parliaments. While only in a few countries, legislative activities were strongly dominated by the pendemic, in most countries continuity across policy areas prevailed.
More variety can be seen in institutional changes for parliamentary oversight. Cimmunication activities intensified with the pandemic, particularly from parliamentary leadership.
These first results indicate that parliaments and established parliamentary democracies, in particular, were able to perform their functions despite unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.