Crises spawn emergency measures. Emergency measures tend to linger long after the threat has passed.

And, Covid-19, has seen a raft of emergency measures introduced: the suspension of election campaigns or even the introduction of a 20-year prison sentence for “peddling falsehoods.” Great for the incumbent rulers and a useful pretext for imprisoning political opponents.

Are we seeing today countries that use legerdemain to make territorial gains, arrest pro-democracy campaigners, enable more corruption or gain data that invades privacy?