Childlessness, a problem for everyone but the country lacks a strategic vision

Denatality is an indicator present in all the main European nations, but in our country, unlike in France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain, the issue is experienced with greater disquiet and with the perception that there is no long-term strategy capable of really reversing the trend. There is still no organic design, relying mostly on fragmented interventions and temporary measures that do not generate the necessary confidence to support parenthood. Italian initiatives appear less systemic, more tied to political contingency than to a shared vision.

The comparison with France is emblematic. There, too, denatality is a recognised problem, but the presence of a historic welfare, capillary and structured, allows young people under 35 to perceive parenthood as compatible with work and daily life, or at least to a much less problematic extent than their Italian peers. Germany also takes a different approach to this issue than our model. Public planning is perceived as stable and reliable. Families are not asked to make up for the shortcomings of the system, but the focus is on supporting the balance between private and professional life, emphasising educational services and flexible working models, even in the presence of an economic crisis, demonstrating that the financial aspect is not the determining factor influencing the choice.

Proof of this are some ISTAT studies showing that households with more children are concentrated in the middle and lower classes and not in the wealthy.Britain, on the other hand, offers a different but equally useful picture for comparison. While the British system does not have welfare comparable to that of France or Germany, it is perceived as more pragmatic. Policies change, but without radical fractures. In Italy, on the other hand, the widespread feeling is that every government starts from scratch, with interventions that do not mature over time. Even Spain faces the same problem but with different attitudes. In the Iberian country, the birth rate is equally high, but the survey shows that the issue is dealt with differently, focusing more on the culture of parenthood and on work organisation in line with the needs of those with young children.

The overall picture that emerges from the international comparison suggests that the real Italian knot is not just the birth rate itself, but the distance between the need for a vision and the absence of a stable strategy. Young Italians perceive that, in order to face such a complex challenge, policies are needed that go beyond the logic of bonuses and small adjustments, and that a structural platform of services, opportunities and certainties is finally built. A response that looks ahead and restores confidence. It is no coincidence, in fact, that - as declared by the majority of Italian interviewees - it is the network of one's own family that is the real support for parenthood, unlike what happens in other countries, especially Germany and Great Britain, where the concept of the 'family' is very different from ours and often does not represent a real social protection network.

Therefore, compared to the other major European nations, Italy seems to be the country most awaiting a clear direction. To be truly tackled, the birth rate needs a vision that brings together economic support, services, work culture, gender equality and quality of life. A challenge that cannot be entrusted to the sum of micro actions, but to an organic project capable of accompanying Italy into the future.