Public-Private Partnership in Resolving the COVID-19 Societal Crisis

COVID-19 triggered several crises, one of which arose in the social sphere. Societal crisis manifested itself in the growing distrust of ordinary citizens to the state, in the negative consequences for them of the forced restriction of social communication due to the lockdown, and in the understanding of the discrepancy between their own individual values and the generally accepted norms of behavior in society, specified by formal institutions. These social problems have only increased the quality of uncertainty of the post-coronavirus pandemic reality. Against this background, social polarization in society, growing unemployment, poverty and impoverishment of citizens have further increased their negative attitude towards the state and society as a whole. As a result, overcoming the consequences of the societal crisis in national communities has become almost the highest priority. Its solution lies in the gradual restoration of partnerships between society, firms, citizens and the state. The most important place is occupied by public-private partnership in any public sector, including socially significant infrastructure projects. Hence, the priority for the state should be to restore citizens' confidence by creating the more inclusive societal environment, minimizing the negative consequences of the societal crisis. Infrastructure PPP projects can demonstrate the social preferences’ public priority. The "institutional matrix" of PPP organizational forms makes it possible to choose conditions for public projects’ implementation with the absolute priority of the healthcare system.