At a time when Italy is recording a record drop in births, the appeal of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella it is an exhortation to look to the future with responsibility and hope. It is not enough to note the problem, said the Head of State who opened the doors on Thursday General States of Natalitybut we need to build a context that allows young people not to have to choose between surviving or dreaming of a family. We need to give them hope that becoming parents remains a real possibility.
In Rome, at the Conciliazione Auditorium, the President, welcomed by Gigi De Palo, president of the Natality Foundation, launched a strong warning on the demographic decline that is affecting Italy: “Our society is aging and not regenerating itself”, he said, “there are fewer young people than ever before, except perhaps after devastating wars”.
The loudest applause came when the President cited article 31 of the Constitution and recalled that “the Republic facilitates the formation of the family and related tasks with economic measures and other provisions”, with particular regard to large families and “protects maternity, childhood and youth”.
In his speech, the Head of State quoted Pope Francis, who spoke on this same stage two years ago, and clearly indicated who is paying the price for this demographic crisis: «In a society centered on speed and real time, young people are forced to be constantly late». It’s not their fault, he explained, but a consequence of contexts that hinder the fundamental steps: stable work, a house, the possibility of starting a family.
Because the birth rate is not a given
According to Mattarella, the choice to become parents cannot be left to luck or bonuses. We need a network of services, economic conditions and a context capable of providing certainty. «Adequate remuneration conditions and the development of social services», he stated, “they are essential to make a family breathe hope, to make life flourish and restore trust”.
The President then pointed the finger at the contradiction that emerged regarding the birth rate: “Where private consumption is higher, lower generativity is found.” A clear signal that the problems are not just economic, but cultural: living in contexts of material well-being is not enough if social and family conditions do not support the project of raising children.
An invitation to collective responsibility
Mattarella recalled that demographics is not just a statistical indicator. AND «a thermometer of the balance of a country, of the image of freedom and future that citizens can draw». And he called on all institutions to combat the decline: “The State has the duty to help parenthood”, he said, because “generativity has human value and social value”. According to the Head of State, the answers cannot be occasional: they are needed structural policies, a long-term project that puts the good of families at the centre, job stability and the defense of the right to a full and conscious life.
