Zagreb, (IKA) – A press conference was held today in Zagreb in the auditorium of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute under the auspices of the 40th Plenary Assembly of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences. At the press conference, Dr. Lola Verlade, President of the European Network of the Institute for Family Policies, presented the results of an investigation of the demographic situation in European countries conducted by her Institute at the request of the European Bishops’ Conferences. Dr. Velarde emphasized that this is the first study of such scope, encompassing data from 40 European countries, and was made possible because the bishops’ conferences permitted necessary information to be accessed that would otherwise be unavailable. Based upon the collected data, the average fertility rate (births/woman) on the European continent is 1.5, while this average must be 2.1 for the biological renewal of the population. Dr. Velarde called this a “demographic winter” that has led to the aging of the European population. The over-65 population of Europe has outpaced under-14 population by 3.4 million. It is predicted that by the year 2050, the under-18 population will be reduced by 30%, while the over-65 population will increase by the same percentage. Although an increased birthrate has been recorded in Europe, data show that 90% of this increase is among immigrants and only 10% among the autochthonous population. In this connection, Dr. Velarde presented data that today there are over 7 million immigrants in Germany, 5.6 million in Spain, 4 million in England, 3.9 million in Italy and 3.7 million in France.
Dr. Velarde warned of a demographic deficit in Europe due to the large number of abortions. During a one-year period, in 43 European countries there was a total of 2.9 million abortions, i.e., one abortion every 11 seconds, 327 abortions every hour and 7,846 abortions every day. In Europe, one in four conceptions ends in abortion. Abortion is the leading cause of mortality in Europe, said Dr. Velarde.
At the conclusion of her presentation, Dr. Velarde spoke about the legal protection of the family. Research indicates that European governments should do something about the current demographic situation in Europe but are actually passing laws and policies that harm the very nature of the family and undermine family ties. In more than half of the countries of Europe, marriage is equated with non-marital partnerships, and in some countries with same-sex partnerships. In all the countries of Europe except Malta, there are laws on divorce and quick divorce is being introduced. Furthermore, in all the countries of Europe except Ireland and Malta, there are laws permitting abortion. Dr. Velarde also pointed out that such an exhaustive study owed much to the data collected from the European Bishops’ Conferences, which made it possible to analyze the situation and explore the causes for the crisis of the family in Europe. In response to journalists’ questions, Dr. Velarde spoke about the measures being taken by the governments of European countries regarding population policies, specifically mentioning financial assistance to parents and the coordination of working hours and family needs. She also said that there is great concern among European institutions regarding the current situation and that the European Commission is requiring local authorities to take action because such measures have been proven to bring improvements. If the demographic winter continues, she warned, it will have economic repercussions such as the collapse of the retirement and healthcare systems, as well as social policies. She noted that social conflicts are also possible due to the increasing influx of immigrants. Such a situation will certainly have socio-psychological consequences, including an increasing number of single persons, said Dr. Velarde. The study also demonstrated a direct connection between the assistance provided by a state and child poverty in the sense that where such assistance exists, fewer children live in poverty, said Dr. Velarde.