Editorial: Consensus, measures needed to tackle demographic problem

The population of Greece within the span of one decade (2011-2021) decreased by 3.5 percent, or 383,805 people.

One of the causes is the brain drain, as many young people left the country to seek better professional opportunities abroad.

The longstanding cause, however, is the low birth rate.

All governments over the last decade were aware of both problems, yet they proved unable to manage them effectively.

Beyond facile pronouncements that the burgeoning demographic problem is one of Greece’s greatest challenges, the data clearly demonstrate that a comprehensive approach to the issue is needed.

It is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the reasons that lead the youth to leave the country and that keep young couples from having children.

The state must ensure access to affordable housing for the younger generation and implement flexible employment arrangements for the parents of children up to the age of 12, such as those that were instituted recently.

The government must also offer more incentives for young people who want to return to Greece and persuade businesses and employers to make appropriate provisions that will facilitate working mothers who want to bear a child, rather than treating them as a burden.

One or two measures alone do not suffice.

The demographic crisis mandates coordinated interventions on many different levels.

This is not an issue that concerns a single government.

All political parties together have an obligation to seek the best solutions in a spirit of consensus.