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In a world where social and technological changes seem ever greater and more present in the lives of individuals, fixed points and compasses, moral but also material, are much more important to keep people on the right course. The starboard tiller, or ‘the eyes on the ball’ to put it in the American way, are only maintained through a series of fixed points and horizons to follow. This is why it is so important that the second edition of the ‘European Congress on Family’, within the framework of the ‘ECR Party Culture Weekend’ held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 18 to 20 October, discussed precisely these issues.
EUROPEAN CONGRESS ON FAMILY
The various panels addressed crucial issues related to family and demography in European policies, the strengthening of family values in a rapidly changing Europe, social media dependence and the improvement of European education systems. In particular, the panel entitled ‘Firm roots, new horizons: conservative family values in a changing Europe’ had the opportunity to emphasise precisely what the characteristics of these ‘compasses’ should be, useful for conservative European citizens to orient themselves within a rapidly changing European Union.
CHANGE AND CONSERVATION
Conservative – it seems clear but perhaps it is better to repeat it – does not mean opposed to progress or change. This is an established fact that can hardly be questioned. What is different is the approach that a conservative, and in this case a conservative-leaning family, has towards change. Often, from the conservative camp, the approach is much more analytical and lively in terms of understanding new and changing phenomena. This is because it is the values of this camp themselves that act as a compass to guide one in understanding a new phenomenon.
THE CONSERVATIVE FAMILY TO THE TEST
However, one fact remains to be taken into account throughout this discussion. An element that, if not taken into due consideration, risks to collapse all forecasts and reasoning on the functioning and challenges that await the conservative family in the future. The topic in question concerns the data on the family in the European Union and the way it is shaped. In November 2023 Eurostat, the statistical service of the European Union, released some data from its statistical surveys on families within the member states. The first interesting fact is that the European Union has about 200 million households (Eurostat data for 2022), a number that is up by 7% compared to the survey carried out ten years earlier. This seems to be positive news, but we must consider that this figure also includes singles, elderly single people and couples without children. These three categories together account for about 78.7 per cent of the total analysed by Eurostat. Households with children (on the number of children and the birth rate it would then be necessary to open a whole other discourse) slightly exceed 24% of the total. Separating these figures, therefore, shows that out of the growing figure recorded by the European statistical service, childless households have increased by 10%, while those with children – again, without taking into account the number of children per household – have recorded a sharp decline of 2.4%.
VALUES AS THE GUIDE OF THE CONSERVATIVE FAMILY
It is, therefore, conservative values that guide the family through the challenges facing the future of the European Union and the world; the moral compass indicating directions, horizons and changes. At the same time, however, it is the family that is the guardian of these values, taking care of them and pursuing the goal of handing them down to future generations. The data on the family in Europe, and especially the decline in families with children, should give us pause for thought. Indeed, if we look to the future of the conservative family and the development of the values of which it is the guardian, the work must focus on caring for this important element of the conservative world.