Demographics: The Vulnerable Heel of the European Achilles

Abstract

Europe is currently under pressure from both the economy and demography. Six years after the onset of the global financial crisis, there are still no signs of a strong recovery. Moreover, demographic shifts have affected the size and structure of the European population, which is the fastest ageing in the world. These trends are inexorable and will be very hard to break unless major changes take place in the mentality of both policymakers and society at large. This article explains how the mixture of these adverse economic and demographic prospects puts the whole continent at high risk and will undermine its economic and political influence in the years to come.