Can the state boost birth rates?
Five months ago the Croatian government coalition formed by the conservative HDZ and the far-right Homeland Movement (DP) created a new Ministry of Demographics. Now DP politician Ivan Šipić, the Minister for Demographics, has presented his first proposals for boosting the country's birth rate. Commentators take stock and discuss the even more drastic measures being taken in Russia.
Utterly outdated ideas
Jutarnji list is sceptical about the newly founded Ministry of Demography's approach:
“Paying women to stay at home and have children and making phone calls to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Croats who have emigrated to South America in the hope of luring them back home are just two of the ideas for improving Croatia's demographic situation presented by the Homeland Movement during the election campaign. It is an old right-wing mantra that the government just needs to be clever and patriotic and Croatians will start having children by the dozen. The fact is that this will not happen for one simple reason: technological innovations, democratisation and the emancipation of women have caused tectonic demographic shifts. There is no going back.”
Understanding the complexity of the problem
At least the complexity of the problem has been recognised, Večernji list counters:
“One positive aspect of the press conference was the minister's insistence on scientifically proven measures, not populism. He also showed that he is aware that the urgent population problems (ageing, natural death, emigration, immigration of culturally different guest workers, etc.) can't be solved in the short term or with the wave of a magic wand. Clearly, the ministry is aware of the complexity of the problem and the long-term nature of any potential solutions.”
Childlessness detracts from the victor image
The goal is to forbid people in Russia from expressing positive views about childlessness, exiled politician Maxim Katz criticises on Echo Z:
“Two bills aimed at hindering child-free behaviour have been submitted to the Duma. The first bans the promotion of childlessness in films, advertising and the media. The second introduces administrative fines analogous to the penalties for LGBT propaganda. ... Stupid bans on child-free ideology or calls for schoolgirls to have a baby to gain bonus points that improve their chances of getting into university won't boost the birth rate. But that doesn't matter to those who will soon obediently vote to ban child-free views. Why not? Because there is a feeling that Russia is losing ground on the demographic front, which doesn't fit in with the Putinist image of a country 'rising from its knees' and general triumph.”
Can people still say no in Russia?
The announcement of the new regulations prompts Radio Kommersant FM to cautiously asks to what extent people are still allowed to have their own opinions in Russia:
“Is it still possible to speak out against something and disagree with something at this stage of the country's development? And - one shudders at the very idea - even to do it publicly? Just a little bit, for the simplest of reasons? Not to shake the foundations of our state, but for interests of ordinary people, for whom, it may sometimes seem, everything has already been thought about and decided? The answer is obvious. Of course one can disagree, but only to be convinced of the opposite afterwards. It's easier for everyone that way.”