The event was part of a series in which the College of International and Security Studies continued to reach out to alumni interested in or working on the topic of good governance and the domestic use of state powers to fight the pandemic. Such events are important, as they keep Marshall Center alumni informed about the impact of current international security developments with an emphasis on coronavirus (COVID-19), during a time when the pandemic has made it impossible for the Marshall Center to reach out to the alumni community with face-to-face events and discussions. The Marshall Center is also working with groups of alumni on a regional basis to address issues affecting our partners.

During this seminar, held on the May 26, 2020, Professor Sebastian von Münchow, Jack Clarke, and Pal Dunay addressed ”The Domestic Use of State Power” in an extraordinary situation, in this case the COVID-19 pandemic. Presentations and discussions in this seminar offered participants the opportunity to see a variety of practices employed by different states during this extraordinary situation. Some, like Germany, successfully avoided overstepping the bounds of the rule of law, ordering only  indispensible measures to protect public health. Some other states, to the contrary, regarded the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to concentrate power in the hands of the executive and temporarily marginalize the legislature. In an extreme case, no time constraint was introduced; hence, it was the decision of the government to initiate returning the power to the legislature. The capacity and potential of the involvement of the military in addressing the pandemic was also presented. The military has the capacity to make significant contributions, however use of the military in such an emergency situation often raises constitutional questions, as in many countries it is prohibited to employ the military in domestic contingencies. Participants in the event shared their views and their experiences with faculty members, who also contributed their viewpoints and additional information for consideration and discussion.