Well this is actually one of the biggest issues in Eastern Europe. The belief the state should take care of its citizens ( the safety net you are talking about ).
The truth is only populist crooks get elected and only come up with shortsighted inefficient solutions (and half of the budget gets stolen).
Mmm, seems like a stretch to blame problems in Eastern Europe on the belief in a safety net - Western Europe/Scandinavia also believes in a safety net but doesn't have the same problems.
