Bulgarian Political Scientist: Society Can Survive Without Restaurants for a While, Schools Must Work

Political Scientist Ognyan Minchev wrote on Facebook:

Instead of polishing their public propaganda skills the heads of Bulgaria’s two associations of restaurant-keepers should better compare the restrictive measures in Bulgaria with those introduced in all (without exception) European countries.

Then they will see that restaurants and other similar facilities are shut down everywhere, except for home delivery services, whereas schools are operating in-person or with partial restrictions. Why so? Because the Society can survive for a while without restaurants.

However, large groups of children deprived of peer-to-peer interaction, keeping parents busy to ensure their quality online learning (which is still only partially effective) are the problems that inflict long-term damage to Society and undermine its future.

It is only in extreme situations that children should not go to school. I understand the argument of the Bulgarian restaurateurs, “we are suffering huge losses”. But this is exactly the reason why the civilized European countries are paying generous compensations to businesses affected by the pandemic, hospitality and restaurant industry including, to provide a resource that will last these businesses through the pandemic and let them resume work afterwards.

If there is a problem in Bulgaria - it is certainly in the essence and the size of these compensations paid by the state. Unfortunately, the owners of the night and entertainment establishments are a powerful social group.

Their pressure over the State is much more arrogant and strong compared to pressure that teachers, or medics, or ordinary citizens may exert. That is why the anti-epidemic measures in Bulgaria are incomparable with those introduced, for instance, in Greece. Neither with those in Belgium, France or the UK.

This makes the life of people in Bulgaria easier set against the rest of Europe. Suffice it that it is not at the expense of the weaker, the vulnerable, all those who don’t make headlines. Or at the expense of the exhaustion and fatigue of the medical professionals many of whom have already fled Bulgaria. Because the hitherto “appreciation” of their labor by the state and the community have made many of them emigrate.

Hopefully the epidemic will help those who are at the helm of our health system sober up.   

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