Developed countries are faced with a new phenomenon that has already turned into a problem: the global aging of the electorate. How it can threaten the public and why exactly, read in the article.
An aging society certainly has its advantages. At a minimum, it always indicates a regular standard of living. However, on the other hand, there is a growing threat of the development of a government with the political myopia of the old, who concentrate on issues that are more relevant to their generation instead of thinking about the near future.
An example is Switzerland, where the group of pensioners has been growing by default for 4 years, and this country is not the only one in Europe. This situation forces us to ask the following questions:
– Why is it dangerous?
– Does the advantage of the elderly electorate undermine the interests of young people?
– Can the country remain innovative and modern under the condition of stable victories of the representatives elected by the pensioners in the elections?
The reason, of course, lies in the demographic situation. The example of the same Switzerland shows that even in the 60s and 70s, the birth rate was 1.5 children per family. This indicator has not increased even with immigration. However, the group of people 65+ has grown rapidly over the past five years. According to available data, by 2050, this indicator will increase by two-thirds.
At the same time, it should be understood that the electorate is older than the population because the majority of able-bodied immigrants do not have the right to participate in the elections. In addition, people aged 65-75 show a four times higher presence in elections than the group aged 18-25. So, the following age data on voters are available:
– the average age of the voter is 57 years;
– 64% – older than 50 years;
– 34% – older than 65 years.
To avoid the debt hole, the mechanisms are always the same: the state must raise the retirement age, reduce pensions, or increase contributions from working people. Convincing people that such measures are really necessary so that they voluntarily agree to them is a utopian idea because the aging electorate will not elect politicians who will propose such a solution to the problem. Meanwhile, the burden falls on the shoulders of the working youth, who have a smaller share among those who vote.
It should be noted that in some countries, the retirement age has been raised. This was done by:
– Denmark;
– Estonia;
– Finland;
– Sweden;
– Portugal;
– Germany.
Will Switzerland finally be able to do it as well? The nearest time will show.
