Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Fides Service) - Families in Spain face increasing problems while public administration is totally absent, according to a Report on the Evolution of Families presented by Eduardo Hertfelder, president of Spain’s Family Policy Institute (IPF). The report, compiled by a team of experts in various fields, is in three parts: situation of the family in Spain and its evolution in the past 25 years; evolution of government policies in the same period of time compared with policies in other EU countries; 20 IPF suggestions for a truly comprehensive family policy.
Eduardo Hertfelder says statistics speak for themselves: Spain is ageing continually, less babies are born, homes are empty, marriages diminish; abortion numbers have risen 50% in five years reaching an average abortion every six minutes; broken marriages were 30% higher in 2004 than in 2001, and at this rate by 2010 the number of separations will equal that of weddings.
Moreover the government’s neglect of family policies and failure to keep electoral promises have widened the gap with the rest of Europe. In most EU countries the family is a number one priority, in Spain it is number three. Spain is the country which gives less support to the family: one compared to five Euro assigned in other EU countries.
In this situation, concludes Eduardo Hertfelder, the government’s attitude towards the family must change, it must support and wager on the family: “To wager on the family is money well placed, it is an investment for the future”. What is needed is a universal family policy, promotion of a culture and a society which supports the family, helps parents overcome difficulties, have as many children as they would like, recognises parents’ right to choose the type of education they desire for their children, promote participation of parents and associations in decision making, make provision for families with special needs. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 26/1/2006 - righe 32, parole 444)
