A Threat to German Society...Come Again?

A recent political and cultural discussion is underway in Germany: are childless people a threat to German society? An interesting topic, in particular, for someone with no children. Thus, I was quite intrigued as I began to see statements from German politicians citing this apparent blemish on German family values and the entire German citizenry’s lack of willingness to embrace parenthood.

Why is this topic getting so much airplay? Why is the government and its officials so interested in ensuring that its citizenry procreate? Surely, the decision to have children is universally accepted by most of the world’s industrialized nations as a matter of personal choice. More importantly, why are so many everyday citizens finding fault with politicians and their political party platforms for raising this issue? Am I, as one member of a childless couple, unwittingly contributing to the denigration of society…and not even know it? My goal: find out exactly what all the brouhaha is about.

My assessment may not be scientific nor represent all sides of the issue, but here is apparently the rub: it comes down to money. Certain German politicians are criticizing those citizens (usually between the ages of 26 and 45) who do not have children as not “doing their part” to sustain the social security system by ensuring that there are sufficient workers in the future who can pay into the social security system (i.e. have children). Like many national social security systems, there are more people who are either approaching retirement age or already retired than there are new workers entering the workforce. It is simple accounting: more money is scheduled to be paid out than is being taken in.

So, rather than look at reforming the system, reducing benefits, increasing the retirement age, etc., the government is campaigning that its citizens have more chidlren. Recent government editorials and statements to the press have been portraying these couples as selfish (choosing not to have children), materialistic (preferring dual income families, and more opportunities for travel, personal achievement, etc.), and driven by personal ambitions (careers before family, mutiple advanced degrees, etc.). Some of the political party platforms have gone so far as to recommend that state pensions for childless couples should be half of that for couples with children.

Well, the flames have been fanned! Most assuredly, this has drawn widespread criticism from not only the public, family friendly groups (who see couples with children being pitted against couples without children), and social system reformers (who see the real issue being the out-dated and under-reformed social security system). Does anyone win this argument? Certainly, there are those couples who decide not to have children, but what about those couples unable to have children? What about those couples who do not fit the “traditional” view of a married couple? Will these people also experience the reduction of state benefits?

Well…the debate rages on. Both sides have gone to their respective corners, and are waiting for the next round to commence. Regardless of where one falls on this issue, the “fall-out” is far from over. Without placing a value judgment on the issue one way or another, it has apparently sparked quite a controversy and dialogue.