The desire to have children is not enough when the salary does not cover the rent, the bills absorb the income, and becoming independent seems increasingly difficult.
For Nikolas Farantouris, that is where one of the main dimensions of the demographic issue lies: in the gap between young people’s desire to start a family and their actual ability to do so.
The MEP and father of three children presented his positions at the conference “Low Birth Rate and Family: Composing Solutions for the Demographic Problem” and in the section “The Demographic Issue as a national priority”.
The event was organized by the Media2day Group, through Euro2day.gr, Iatronet.gr and Mama365.gr, under the auspices of the Region of Attica, bringing to the forefront the interventions needed to support the family.
The family remains a sought-after goal
Although life patterns have changed, Mr. Farantouris argued that the family continues to be a significant desire for many people in Greece. He referred to women trying to have children and to couples who would like to become parents, but are struggling.
“Young people want to start a family, but they cannot”, he noted, linking this inability to the cost of living and the housing crisis. As he explained, remaining in the parental home is often dictated by economic necessity.
When a young person cannot cover even their own basic obligations, starting a family moves further away. For this reason, in his view, the demographic issue needs to be addressed together with the social and economic conditions that affect people’s decisions.
The point is for the policies that are announced to have a measurable impact on their daily lives.
Practical measures for real needs
The priorities he presented include tackling high prices and the housing issue with an emphasis on young people, strengthening public structures for fertility and childbirth, as well as meaningful tax relief for families. Indicatively, he referred to a proposal to reduce ENFIA by 70% for the first 100 square meters, for families with at least three children.
“We need practical things”, he stressed. He made special reference to the AMH test, describing an initiative he undertook, as a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets, for its funding from European and national resources.
At the same time, he underlined that making use of the available funds presupposes political will and a clear prioritization of priorities, so that interventions reach the people who need them.
A priority for the economy as well
He also assigned an important role to the banks, focusing on the obstacles large families face in accessing housing finance. He recalled that in the past low-interest, even interest-free loans helped families acquire a home and called for practical solutions that respond to today’s needs.
In closing, he underlined that, since the demographic issue is recognized as an absolute priority for society, it must be treated as such by the economy as well.