This volume shows how post-neoliberal states and governing classes were unequal to the historical moment of COVID-19, learning little about how to adapt to wider political, socio-economic, and ecological challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged us to rethink how contemporary states navigate crises. But despite the extraordinary transformations of 2020–22, existing inequalities and power imbalances proved remarkably resilient. Bringing together critical perspectives, the book highlights how decision-making, leadership, and policy responses were inseparable from political power structures and societal contexts. The volume shows how crisis governance is actively contested, resisted, and shaped by social groups - and how social cleavages are either deepened or challenged in times of crisis.