The Impact of the Pro-Natalist Policies on the European Demography

Abstract

Many developed and developing countries are facing worrying demographic trends that lead to the numeric reduction of the population and especially to its ageing Romania is no exception and the present paper analyzes the most important pro-natalist policies implemented by some European states and their impact, in order to provide goodpractices idea for other countries and especially for Romania. Surprisingly (or not) the highest natality in the EU is not recorded in the traditionalist countries, but in those who recognize gender equality and create facilities for women to reconcile the maternity with the career or for single parents. However, it is hard (if not impossible) to identify a unique "prescription" for all the European countries. For countries like Romania, the solution should be first sought not in the gender equality policies, but in the economic stability and positive long-run perspectives of the economy and the society. In an unstable country, suffocated by corruption and economic failures no demographic policy could stop the migration of the population and the low natality rate.