Considering that the economy received significant assistance in the previous period, the new government should focus attention primarily on the health sector and education, because they sustained the biggest blow as a result of COVID-19.
The greatest emphasis should be placed on health and education in the period ahead. It should be placed on health due to the COVID-19 epidemic, which will most likely remain present until the middle of next year. It is thus necessary to carefully monitor the needs of the health system, in order to respond on time, whether through the engagement of additional staff or the procurement of equipment. The education process had to change on the hoof from the beginning of the epidemic, and here additional resources are needed with the aim of ensuring the normal realisation of the next academic year. Additional teachers should be hired if schools express a need for that, as has been done by some other European countries. It is necessary to provide equipment for those who don’t have enough and to help school pupils from socially disadvantaged families in order for them to be able to follow online classes.
I would only rank the economy in third place because the state has already provided significant funds to help the economy: to cover part of salaries, suspend deadlines for tax liabilities and provide access to more favourable loans. Expressed as a percentage of GDP, this assistance has been among the greatest in Europe. It wasn’t targeted at specific sectors, which has been resented by some businesspeople, but it isn’t easy to evaluate who needs help more in this situation.
The programme “My First Salary” will certainly lessen the impact on overall youth employment, which is a good move considering that they are the first to be laid off when a crisis hits
Specifically, some economists consider that the tourism sector, which is among the hardest hit sectors, should not be given further help because that means giving money for something where returns are uncertain. Specifically, tourist services aren’t classed among essential goods and there’s a question mark over how long it will take to revive demand for them. People are wary of spending when a crisis comes, while some will lose their jobs and travel certainly won’t be the first thing on which they plan to spend money.
In other words, the recovery of this branch is expected to last a long time, which is why it’s right to question whether the state should invest money in that area. It is inevitable that some jobs will have to disappear, and we will only be able to assess the impact of the crisis on unemployment at the end of the year, when measures aimed at helping the private sector expire. The State has prepared some new programmes in the meantime. Through the programme “My First Salary”, people seeking a job for the first time after graduating from high school or college will be employed. The salaries of newly employed young people will be financed partly by the state, and they should start working as of November. This programme will certainly lessen the impact on overall youth employment, which is a good move considering that they are the first to be laid off when a crisis hits.