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The family: the fundamental nucleus of society.
In Dubrovnik (Croatia) the Congress promoted by the ECR
From October 18th to 20th, 2024, Dubrovnik, the historic and evocative pearl of the Mediterranean, will host the Second European Congress on the Family, organized by the ECR Party. This three-day event promises to be an important platform for discussing European family policies and addressing crucial issues for the future of families in Europe.
The congress will kick off on Friday, October 18th with a panel entitled “Generations in Balance,” focusing on the effects of the ageing population on the European economy. This panel immediately delves into the heart of the event’s topic.
Europe is currently undergoing a significant demographic transformation, marked by a notable increase in the ageing population and a continuous decline in births. While life expectancy has significantly increased in recent decades—projected to reach an average of 86.1 years for men and 90.3 years for women by 2070—the birth rate continues to decline across Europe.”
The improvement in life expectancy can be attributed to advancements in healthcare, public health strategies, and enhanced living standards. Nevertheless, there are notable disparities between different countries. For example, Spain boasts an average life expectancy of over 83 years, while countries like Bulgaria have significantly lower life expectancies, averaging around 75 years. These variations in life expectancy across regions also highlight unequal access to healthcare services and economic resources.
Simultaneously, there has been a significant decrease in birth rates, particularly in specific regions such as northwest Spain, southern Italy, and certain parts of Greece, where the fertility rate has dropped below 1.25. The reasons for this trend are diverse, including economic challenges, work-related issues, and decisions to delay parenthood, leading to an increase in the average age for having a first child from 29 to 30.8 years between 2001 and 2018.
The shifting population demographics in Europe are not only altering its social fabric but also exerting an influence on its economy and welfare system. As a result, the European Conservatives and Reformists have made the decision to convene a panel of experts in the fields of economics, academia, and politics to address these complex and far-reaching changes.
The panel will be moderated by MP Simona Baldassarre, Head of the Family Department from the Italian political party “Lega”; Hannes Gissurarson, Professor of Political Science from Iceland; Jorge Jraissati, President of the Economic Inclusion Group from Venezuela; MP Ylenia Lucaselli, Head of Fratelli d’Italia’s Delegation for the Budget Committee from Italy; and Max Rangeley, Editor and Manager of The Cobden Centre from the United Kingdom. Domenico Lombardi, Economist and Opinionist from Italy, will also moderate and coordinate the intriguing and economic science-focused panel.
The event aims to address the pressing issue of Europe’s aging population and shrinking workforce, which are creating challenges for the sustainability of pensions, healthcare, and long-term care.
The declining birth rate and the aging population are putting significant pressure on European public budgets. The increase in the elderly population requires more resources for pensions, healthcare, and long-term care, while the decrease in the working-age population reduces the potential for economic growth and the ability to sustain these expenses. Without immigration, the population of the European Union could decrease by 10% and the workforce could decrease by around 21% by 2050. This imbalance leads to a sharp increase in the old-age dependency ratio, meaning that a growing number of pensioners depend on an increasingly smaller younger population.
A panel with prestigious guests will address these issues directly. The event will be followed by a discussion on the excessive and unbalanced use of social media, and a meeting entitled “Governments in Support of the Family Unit” will delve into the dynamics between States and families to discuss practical solutions to the pressing difficulties of European families.
The conference sessions will start on Saturday, October 19th, focusing on education. The first panel, “Conservative Education in Modern Times,” will explore how the love of country can be integrated into a broader educational context as a fundamental aspect of European education. This will be followed by two related discussions: “Family of the Future,” which will address the role of new technologies in supporting families, and “Firm Roots, New Horizons,” which will explore the intersection of conservative values and a Europe that is evolving towards change.
The list of expected guests is quite interesting. Among many others the speakers’ list includes the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Antonella Sberna (Fratelli d’Italia, ECR), MEPs Joachim Brudzinski (PiS – Law and Justice, ECR Co-group leader), Stephen Bartulica (formerly DP, ECR), Kinga Gal (Fidesz, PfE), Chiara Gemma (Fratelli d’Italia, ECR), Patryk Jaki (SP, ECR), Georgiana Teodorescu (AUR, ECR), Laurence Trochu (MC, ECR), as well as numerous national parliamentarians and government representatives. These representatives include the Italian Minister for the Family, Eugenia Roccella (Fratelli d’Italia, ECR), Croatian Ministers for Demography (Ivan Sipic DP, ECR) and for Economy (Ante Susnjar DP, ECR), Hungarian Secretary of State for the Hungarian Family Zsofia Koncz (Fidesz, PfE), and the former Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki (PiS – Law and Justice, ECR). Additionally, the ECR Party Secretary-General MP Antonio Giordano (Fratelli d’Italia, ECR) and Don Paolo Benanti, an Italian theologian and academic called by the Italian government to lead the “AI Commission for Information”, were also present.
There will also be moments of leisure and cultural study: on Friday there will be a boat tour along the shores of Dubrovnik and in the afternoon an entire evening dedicated to the voice of young European conservatives coming in large numbers from all over Europe; on Saturday there will be a thematic tour of the city and a networking dinner; on Sunday it will be an entirely cultural day, with a visit to the Rector’s Palace to observe and study the intense and often conflictual relationship between Christian culture and Ottoman society.
This opportunity for discussion is part of the many initiatives promoted by the ECR: just remember “Europa Viva” in Madrid to promote conservative values at a European level; in Cyprus the culture weekend entitled “At the crossroads of the Mediterranean” was held with significant focus on the challenges of energy and European security. Croatia was also the scene of another ECR Party Culture Weekend, from March 31 to April 2, 2023, entitled “Accelerating the Conservative agenda for prosperity and freedom”.
Dubrovnik perfectly meets the Mediterranean culture already known in Cyprus and Madrid, uniting them in a land, Croatia, which for years has suffered the consequences of those who wrote history. An experience, this one promoted by the ECR, which has its roots in the beating heart of Europe. A region that is a symbol of the values of the Right: the Faith of which the Croatians hold high the bulwark of Catholicism; the attachment to a Homeland of which they have suffered the tearing apart and the horrors of the civil war; that idea of Family that ECR is championing for an unprecedented three days.
The Second European Family Congress in Dubrovnik presents a unique opportunity to delve into crucial issues surrounding family policies in Europe. Over the course of three days, participants can expect a rich and varied agenda, featuring authoritative speakers and immersive cultural experiences. This event promises to be an invaluable experience, offering attendees not only the chance to interact with leading figures in the field but also to immerse themselves in the enchanting atmosphere of Dubrovnik, a city steeped in history and charm.