Against this background, I looked at a number of election programs and tried to judge them on their vision of a future with digitalization. I was shocked. Almost no party has a vision of how we can deal with digitalization in the future .
Take the developments surrounding the corona pandemic, or one of the other viruses, for example. The digital possibilities were deployed ad hoc and with many teething problems, there was no plan of action for this. The big question is whether the government learns enough from this pandemic and from the possibilities of digitalization to combat the economic and social consequences of subsequent pandemics in a more nuanced and less harmful way.
How we can keep further digitalisation under control, so that our society is not undermined by it, is hardly a concern fax lists for the parties. Political parties should be judged on a policy that helps us to keep both future viruses and digitalisation under control and to protect and facilitate citizens in this. The theme of 'digitalisation' seems to be avoided during these elections, due to lack of understanding or ignorance. Corona absorbs all attention.
Elections and corona.
Will corona affect the amount of the vote?
Having said all this, I also wonder whether a dominant theme like corona will influence voting behaviour. There are increasing voices from society expressing dissatisfaction with a government that was afraid for far too long to weigh up other factors than just the number of infections. It is accused of a passive and uncreative attitude when it comes to gradually emerging from the lockdown. And it would be one-sidedly drooping its ears in the opinion of the OMT.