The whole world is going through a massive crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic, and in Russia it is being made worse by an economic crisis, falling oil prices, and the decline of the ruble.
In this situation, all political forces, including the opposition, should state their views on how our country can cope with the difficulties ahead. And, as President Putin likes to remind us, the opposition should not only criticize but also offer constructive solutions.
I am, of course, deeply critical of how the current authorities are trying to deal with this crisis. The measures being offered are late, half-hearted, and indecisive.
Fortunately, the epidemic reached Russia a little later than it did many other countries, so we at least had a chance not to repeat the mistakes others made. And yet we are repeating their mistakes and adding our own.
Recently, we have seen the announcement of a non-working week — a simply harmful decision. We were told that to fight the epidemic we needed to introduce new taxes. Then came the effective declaration of a strict quarantine in Moscow, the Moscow region, and some other regions. The decision itself was correct, but legally it was completely unlawful without a directive from the federal center. Then the police in the Moscow region announced a curfew. And then they canceled the curfew. Then Prime Minister Mishustin did not impose a nationwide quarantine, but merely recommended that the regions study the experience. Then, for some reason, it was Dmitry Medvedev who addressed us, while President Putin still has not presented a clear plan of action.
For 20 years we were told that Vladimir Putin alone must always remain president of Russia, because only he could save our country if disaster struck. Well, disaster has struck, and what we see is total confusion and an unwillingness to take responsibility.
Now, as for what must be done.
And here, decisions must be made on two fronts.
First. Stop the epidemic and treat everyone who has fallen ill.
Second. We must help people, businesses, and the economy, all of which are now in a very difficult situation.
No one knows the one hundred percent correct strategy for fighting the virus. But we can see the more and less successful experiences of others, as well as their mistakes. The task is to use the successful examples of South Korea, Germany, Singapore, and Taiwan, and avoid the mistakes that China and Italy made in the early stages.
Not all foreign experience can be applied here, because of underdeveloped technology and the dire state of healthcare. But what we do need is:
Police and repressive measures will not help on their own. We have a lot of police, but even that is not enough to force everyone into their homes. Right now, we are at a moment when the entire propaganda machine of the state media could actually do something useful. All of its power should be directed toward persuading people to stay home, maintain social distance, and follow basic precautions.
We want people to stay home, but they are forced to go to work because they have no money. We must give them hope. No one should be sitting there now thinking: I don’t have money to buy food for my family tomorrow. And a small business owner should not be sitting there thinking: I am ruined.
People and companies paid taxes, and the state built up reserves for a rainy day. That rainy day has come, and this money must be returned to the people.
We must say honestly: right now we have 10 trillion rubles in reserves — 123 billion US dollars. And this money must be used to save everyone.
Yes, of course. It is very expensive. But in the end, what is a country and a state for? To make people’s lives better. Remember: during crises, we end up spending our reserves anyway, either entirely or to a very large extent. Now they must be spent in such a way that help reaches everyone.
All of this could last a long time — at least until summer. For any self-isolation and quarantine measures to succeed, they require the conscious participation of citizens and leadership from the authorities and public figures.
Of course, in the end we will cope. Throughout its history, Russia has always overcome hardships, and it will do so again now. But on the one hand, we should not deceive ourselves into thinking this will be easy, and on the other, we must not try to climb out of this hole at the expense of ordinary people’s wallets. They are empty already.
The whole world is going through something similar right now. Let us repeat what works. Let us learn from others’ mistakes. And we will get through this. Stay healthy. Take care of your loved ones. Stay home.