RTVE warned about Spain's low birth rate back in 1988 — nobody listened
A 1989 programme on Spain's public broadcaster RTVE already predicted the low birth rate and framed immigration as the solution. Forty years on, the debate over whether it was manipulation rages on.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
RTVE saw it coming in 1988: low birth rate and immigration as the solution
Back in 1989, as the Berlin Wall was coming down, Spain's public television aired a programme sketching out the future: birth rates in free fall, mass immigration as the lifeline. Forty years later, the debate sounds exactly the same, though the narrative has cracked.
Those who watched it speak of «blatant manipulation», a message designed to sell the idea that immigrants would pay for Spaniards' pensions while the latter kept up their standard of living. Today's reality, however, paints a more complex equation: according to some analyses, mass immigration is effectively subsidised, while foreign retirees — the famous «guiris», as northern European tourists and residents are known in Spain — are the ones who actually leave a net positive balance, averaging 18,000 euros in taxes per property purchase. The paradox is that the latter group draws far more criticism.
If the 1989 programme was a self-fulfilling prophecy, it is worth asking whether today's narrative is paving the way for the next step. History suggests that when demographics tighten, the rhetoric is shaped to justify the inevitable. But the margin of error is wide: perhaps this time the script won't play out.
Back in 1989, as the Berlin Wall was coming down, Spain's public television aired a programme sketching out the future: birth rates in free fall, mass immigration as the lifeline. Forty years later, the debate sounds exactly the same, though the narrative has cracked.
Those who watched it speak of «blatant manipulation», a message designed to sell the idea that immigrants would pay for Spaniards' pensions while the latter kept up their standard of living. Today's reality, however, paints a more complex equation: according to some analyses, mass immigration is effectively subsidised, while foreign retirees — the famous «guiris», as northern European tourists and residents are known in Spain — are the ones who actually leave a net positive balance, averaging 18,000 euros in taxes per property purchase. The paradox is that the latter group draws far more criticism.
If the 1989 programme was a self-fulfilling prophecy, it is worth asking whether today's narrative is paving the way for the next step. History suggests that when demographics tighten, the rhetoric is shaped to justify the inevitable. But the margin of error is wide: perhaps this time the script won't play out.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (15 replies).
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