Liberalism is based upon the premise that individuals are to be trusted, that they know best what is in their interests, that laws, regulations and rules are superseded by the freedom of an individual, and the legislator intervenes only when absolutely necessary. Why then do we still not return to this notion after more than a year after the COVID restrictions started in earnest?

The rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Poland is rapidly declining. People are living in a renewed false sense of security. They feel that they have returned to normal life. This feeling may, however, disappear in the fall, which will turn out to be a nightmarish return to lockdown and health care gridlock.

Over the next twelve months, when the economy and the people have already been locked in a lockdown several times, we have managed to completely devastate the services segment, we have managed to devastate children in online education and, worst of all, we have not prevented a high number of deaths from COVID.

The European Commission is increasingly facing criticism for failing to effectively combat the erosion of democracy among some of its members. Its efforts as guardian of the treaties to stop the disturbing developments – especially in Poland and Hungary – have so far been mostly ineffective.

In times of great national uncertainty, the government is called upon to act, and the present pandemic is no exception. In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic exigencies, governments around the world have taken vast and unparalleled decisions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect lives. Indisputably, many of those measures have directly or indirectly curtailed our human rights and freedoms of millions of people around the world.