Without losing a sense of humor, one can, of course, say that one of the main consequences of the coronavirus pandemic was the increase in the cost of toilet paper in Italy.

140% is not a joke to you.

Well, to be serious, there is no such area of ​​the economy that has not been severely affected by this crisis. 

The stock markets remembered the 2008 recession, and the expressions “Black Monday” and “Black Thursday” were again in use.

Oil prices fell back to the level of the 90s.

The damage to developed economies in the second, most difficult quarter of this year amounted to 20-30% of GDP. 

Here, of course, IT developments stand apart.

This is where value gain records are breaking.

And the reasons for this are more than understandable.

There is no coronavirus in the network, and people were forced to flee here, switching to a remote location.

They began to interact at work and get acquainted on digital platforms.

Now the development of the digital economy has become a vital necessity, and not one of the items on a long list of tasks.

In an interview with Maksut Shadayev for RTVI, we talked about the explosive growth of digital platforms.

In a situation where the whole world is plunging into crisis, it is very important to have breakthrough projects in digital form.

They can become the points of growth that will pull economies out of the free fall of 2020. 

It is clear that Russia not only does not exist on a separate planet - it is tied to world energy prices, the purchasing power of our trading partners, etc. We must not forget about sanctions - the pandemic was not an obstacle to economic pressure.

And in these conditions, Vladimir Putin speaks to the senators and sets a bar that cannot be called conservative: “While maintaining a responsible budget policy and the stability of the entire system of public finances, as early as next year from overcoming the consequences of the epidemic and economic recovery, we must again more actively return to development projects , look to the future, focus on achieving national development goals. "

The President's words about overcoming the consequences of the epidemic are heard at the moment when we hear that a real crisis awaits us next year.

In a moment of such turbulence, the question arises: what values ​​do we choose?

Conservatism, liberalism or a new ethics that is being formed before our eyes, where everything is possible for everyone, but no one wants to be responsible for such a rapidly changing world?

And the vote on amendments to the Constitution, like a vote of confidence in Putin, showed that he is more suitable for the role of an anti-crisis manager than any other person in his place.

This is how the demand for leadership that is relevant all over the world today is satisfied.

We live in a welfare state, because we left the USSR - another welfare state.

In the new Constitution, these accents are even clearer.

Yes, this model can be criticized, but the capitalist model of the United States has its flaws.

On the one hand, there is the dictates of the market economy, there, in supposedly San Francisco, your startup can get millions of dollars at the pitch.

We don't have that.

On the other hand, without health insurance, an American is deprived of help, and in Russia it will be provided to everyone. 

The development of national projects is the path that we embarked on earlier than many.

The question now is how we will pass this path - and here everything depends on each of us.

I often say that standing still today is tantamount to falling behind.

In a pandemic, this statement is even more accurate.

Development in any conditions is the only way out.

This is what the president is talking about.

And the digital economy is an understandable priority.

After people, money migrates there - and there is generated the much needed added value now.

The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.