Max Hjelm: Have today's parents forgotten their children?

Swedish politicians appear to have forgotten their children, favoring older generations at the expense of the young. This pattern is evident across various policy areas, from housing and employment to climate and fiscal decisions. The author uses a personal anecdote of being lost in a mall as a child to highlight the fundamental expectation that parents never forget their children, contrasting this with the perceived neglect in political priorities.

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One time my parents lost me in a shopping mall. I remember the terror, the confusion. It felt like an eternity before they found me, but I was probably alone for at most a minute. Soon I heard my mother's reassuring voice. She had found me. Of course: one does not forget one's child.

In housing policy, measures like mortgage interest deductions benefit existing homeowners, inflating property values and creating a significant barrier for young people trying to save for a down payment. The article points to proposals like removing capital gains tax for those who have owned property for at least 16 years, which would disadvantage younger families looking to upgrade. On the rental market, older individuals often have priority in queues for affordable housing, leaving younger people to navigate expensive and unstable secondhand markets. The cost of these policies, the article suggests, will ultimately be borne by today's children and youth.

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But in politics, other rules seem to apply. Here, the younger ones are often forgotten, and the older ones are favored at the expense of the young.

The tendency to favor current older citizens is also reflected in election promises. Recent tax cuts on fuel and food, financed through borrowing, are presented as a short-term gain that will inevitably lead to future repayment burdens with interest. The author reiterates that the cost of these fiscal decisions will fall on the younger generation.

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This has in turn inflated housing prices and made it much harder for a young person to save for a down payment.

The most striking example of politicians neglecting the next generation lies in climate policy. The article criticizes the stance of not requiring citizens to

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Who will pay the bill for the cost reductions? Today's children and young people.