"National governments really matter, and it really matters which one you happen to find yourself under," writes David Runciman for The Guardian.

Under a lockdown, democracies reveal what they have in common with other political regimes: here too politics is ultimately about power and order.

"Though the pandemic is a global phenomenon, and is being experienced similarly in many different places, the impact of the disease is greatly shaped by decisions taken by individual governments. Different views about when to act and how far to go still mean that no two nations are having the same experience. At the end of it all we may get to see who was right and what was wrong. But for now, we are at the mercy of our national leaders."

Read the article here.