A golden rule of politics is that the timing of a decision is almost as important as the decision itself. “Timing is everything,” but it is also the element that is hardest to get right.
The world has long been overdue a systemic reform of its economic, social and technological structures, but apparently the timing has never been quite right. Growth has been slow, political divisiveness on the rise and geopolitical relationships ever more fragile. All of this, while inequality has increased and has magnified a multitude of social problems.
The global COVID-19 crisis has exposed these gaps with graphic honesty. It makes for an uncomfortable reflection as we see the woefully unequal access to health care, digital means and social protection as the pandemic spreads across cities, countries and continents.