Europe's economic recovery in peril as fourth Covid wave sweeps the continent

Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform says the “political calculus changes quite a bit” for state leaders facing election. He argues politicians dodged the Covid issue in German elections in September, making a backlash more likely at the ballot box in state votes next year.

But, adds Odendahl, Austria’s mandatory move “will set a precedent for Germany, because Germany and Austria follow each other's politics and country relatively closely”.