This is the point of view of Maria Dimitrova-Pichot, President of the Francophone Journalists Association in Bulgaria, reporting for Radio Bulgaria from the epicenter of the epidemic in Paris

At the beginning of 2020, nobody suspected that the leap year would bring one of the toughest tests for humanity. Being in control of previously dreaded diseases like plague, leprosy, smallpox and others people did not suspect that a virus would change our lives. When China alarmed the world over the looming danger, most of us believed that the outbreak would not cross borders. Unfortunately, the epidemic spread with such speed throughout the globe that even the biggest skeptics who compared the epidemic to ordinary seasonal flu were soon left without arguments. Countries that did not want to halt their economic development because of a virus suddenly found themselves unprepared to bear the brunt of the epidemic.

How has Europe been coping with the damage?

"The western world had not seen many serious crises for a long time and reflexes for coping with danger have slowed," says journalist Maria Dimitrova-Pichot, a longtime editor at Radio Bulgaria. She has been closely monitoring the situation in France.

"At a European level I see that countries have a very different attitude to this epidemic. All were unprepared. Perhaps, Germany was the most prepared one. I remember an interesting fact when a few years ago Merkel warned the Germans to stock up for three months because of possible military conflict. Europeans had previous experience with coronavirus infections such as SARS, but now they have proven to be completely unprepared and dependent on China. Protective masks are made mainly there, as well as medical equipment and others. For example, France will once again reopen a factory that used to manufacture medical masks but was closed because of low revenues. On a visit to the factory, President Macron pointed out that European countries should build economic independence within the EU."

And while the grim statistics in Italy, Spain and France continue to show rising numbers of victims of the epidemic, countries such as England, the Netherlands, and Sweden are still refusing to cease production and are introducing a regime of limited contacts and enhanced protective measures.

UN experts predict that more than 25 million people worldwide will lose their jobs, but it is unknown how many will survive the devastating virus that has so far claimed the lives of over 30,000 Europeans.

"And here comes the big question - how long restrictions and isolation could continue and whether the economy could be left without a breathing apparatus," Maria Dimitrova-Pichot says and adds.

"What I fear is that patriotic organizations will gain much support. This is because people in Europe are angry that the epidemic caught us unprepared. Rethinking of everything, including political power and the direction the world is headed to would follow. Macron himself could also lose his office because of this crisis. It also took long time for China to inform the world about the virus but it is common for people not to believe in the severity of a situation when something bad suddenly happens. It seems there would be some rethinking and values ​​will be rearranged. We all hope that humanity will be wiser after the end of this crisis."

Speaking about Bulgaria, the journalist predicts that people would do better in coping with the situation and the spread of the virus would be limited.

English: Alexander Markov