Sociologist: Power didn’t decide to conflict with Church over COVID-19

Ella Libanova. Photo: rbc.ua

Ella Libanova, Director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), believes that the Ukrainian authorities were afraid to openly conflict with religious organizations in Ukraine over the quarantine, reports the "RBC-Ukraine" edition.

According to the sociologist, "the quarantine story will affect the assessment of the government's actions" because "the absence of a firm policy in this regard is evidence of the government's weakness and its uncertainty about its ability to enforce such a ban".

When asked whether the government hadn’t decided to do so, given the likely resistance of the religious community, Libanova replied: "Yes, it was afraid”.

At the same time, she believes that "the authorities have simply decided to scare instead of explaining. I am sure that panic and constant stress are harmful to human health. Constant stress is the factor that most depresses the immunity, provokes problems with the heart and pressure".

Previously, the UOJ wrote that the Dnipro mayor threatened the UOC with the blocked doors of the temples and the dug-up roads, and later the communal service dug the entrance to one of the temples of the city to prevent the services.

In turn, the mayor of Konotop ordered to dug up the roads to UOC temples and cut off electricity and water supply, while the Netishin mayor called the UOC "biological weapons".

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