The State Gets No Children

The debate surrounding Austria's declining birth rate has taken a concerning turn, with politicians overstepping into deeply personal decisions. While the stark reality of a birth rate hovering around 1.29 children per woman, a far cry from the nearly three recorded in the 1960s, is indeed a cause for concern, the proposed political solutions are misguided. Parties like the Neos suggest financial incentives are the issue, while the SPÖ and Greens advocate for legally enforcing equal parental responsibility, citing Scandinavian models. However, this framing misses the fundamental point: having children is a deeply personal choice, ideally rooted in the desire for happiness, not a civic duty to prop up state systems. Furthermore, the Scandinavian example is hardly a success story, as birth rates there have also declined significantly. The push to legislate parental roles, particularly when men in Austria already take very short parental leave despite existing support, ignores the lived realities and preferences of the people. This editorial from Die Presse emphasizes that while the demographic challenge is real, the state's role should not be to dictate or legislate personal reproductive choices, but rather to support families in ways that respect individual autonomy.

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We want to enshrine in law that families have jointly taken responsibility for the children. To ensure that half-and-half is actually lived.