“There is nothing new about the sudden enthusiasm for aggressive government intervention during a health crisis. Throughout history, pandemics have led to an expansion of the power of the state.”

American journalist, historian and foreign-policy commentator

Anne Elizabeth Applebaum is an American journalist, historian, and foreign-policy commentator. She has worked on the politics and history of Europe, and in 2013 became a Polish citizen. She is known for writing about Communism and the growth of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. Her work often focuses on the region’s political changes and the ideas that shaped them.