“A Militia of Anarchists Run by a General”. A Case of Scientific Policy Advice in Austria During the Pandemic

Abstract As many other countries, Austria was hit by the Corona pandemic by surprise. After a swift initial response, the continuing crisis laid bare deficiencies. This article investigates an unconventional intervention starting in March 2020: an ad-hoc body set up by scientists and policy makers in the unfolding of the initial Corona crisis, without official mandate and resources. The “Future Operations Platform” was an embodiment of the lack of science advice infrastructure in Austria. Yet the puzzle that the article wants to explain is: why did the platform remain a place of deliberating scientific evidence in an inter- and transdisciplinary manner for three years? Three factors are investigated in detail: the specificity of the Austrian institutional landscape; the functioning of this partial organization; and the motivating factors to its members. Based on this analysis, the article concludes with what can be learned about policy structures in Austria, and the role of expertise in (post-) pandemic societies.