"History is a wonderful thing, if only it was true"
-Tolstoy

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Demographics of Europe

From retirement age(s) to who controls wealth, from attitudes towards entrepreneurial activity, Europe is a mixed bag. All layered on getting older every day.

Charlemagne: Europe's worrying gerontocracy | The Economist:

What happens when older voters dominate European electorates"

"Today Europe again faces rule by the elderly. Not because its leaders are all ancient: modern politicians tend to flaunt pregnant wives and school-age children, and disport themselves in cycling shorts and running kit. Now it is the voters who have aged. By 2050, more than a third of potential European Union voters will be over 65. And because older voters turn out more reliably than the young, they could wield crushing power."

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