A new generation that has many opportunities, many opportunities to learn, but this progress is also accompanied by a great injustice: they will have to pay the debts that were incurred for some of the older generations. And this should be discussed publicly. I am talking here about intergenerational justice, which is very important, explained the rector of the University of Bucharest, Marian Preda, on Friday at the “Family and Birth Health” conference held at the Romanian Academy.

At the event, where demographers, anthropologists, sociologists, historians and scientists discussed the demographic problem, the social risks it carries, and possible solutions, no representative of the Government or the ruling coalition took part.

What else did the Rector of the University of Bucharest say:

• When risks arise, everyone tries to prevent them from materializing. After 30 years of transition, we see that we are not moving in this direction. Or not enough anyway.

• There are concepts of old risks and new risks. The old ones are associated with the state of poverty, certain inefficiency, faster growth of social expenses than revenues to the budget, etc. New ones are related to demographic aging, the growing role of women in public life, or related to the health care system.

The most problems were in the generation of the decree

• There are big differences between the previous 4 generations in terms of the chances they had in life. I mean the generation before the Second World War, the generation after the decree, the generation of the decree and the generation after 1989 (which is also dying, and soon a new generation will appear).

• Consider that the pre-war generation went to school with very good teachers trained in the interwar period. The most problems were in the generation of the decree. Because not only the school was overcrowded, but also the kindergartens were overcrowded. .. But when they turned 18, a revolution immediately followed, and they no longer had a place in the industry, which declined sharply. They didn’t even have houses anymore, because the state didn’t build any more, and suddenly they were forced to emigrate.

• A new generation is coming that has many opportunities to learn, but this progress is also accompanied by a great injustice: they will have to pay the debts that were incurred for some of the older generations. And this should be discussed. I am talking about intergenerational justice, which is very important.

• The capital has a GDP per capita of 170% of the EU average, but in the northeast, in Moldova, it has 40% of the same average. This means that these are dependent population groups. Which depend on the state or local budget, which has very important consequences.

• With a large proportion of the dependent population (retired, unemployed, people on welfare or with disabilities), local decision-makers adapt to this and become populists. This is a problem. And if you look at voter turnout, you’ll see that it’s significantly higher among those who are no longer economically active.

• Who needs to change anything? It is clear that those who have personal privileges will not change them! The main actors prefer personal privileges: we have a weak, corrupt, politically dependent parliament. Unions are unrepresentative, vassal. Justice – partially reformed, but dependent on privileges such as special pensions. Institutions of public order are partially reformed, but “reassured by small benefits” (special pensions). Public administration – deprofessionalization. Civil society is frustrated or controlled. And the press is vassalization, deprofessionalization

Watch Friday’s presentation by Bucharest University Rector Marian Preda here