Politics in Times of Pandemic: Role of Political Institutions and State Governance vis-à-vis Pandemic Treaty

Abstract

This paper examines how political institutions influence global health governance concept, which is shaped by the political determinants of health. It focuses on the role of political institutions in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which revealed the importance of politics in international health processes. The paper shows that political contradictions emerged between countries, and sometimes even among traditional allies, as national interests often prevailed global problems. It also discusses how the political leadership of each country, as the central political institution, had to address various domestic and foreign policy challenges and explores the potential implications of the WHO Pandemic Treaty, which was proposed in response to the pandemic, for increasing the involvement and participation of political institutions in global health issues.