Part 6/9:
The demographic decline has bred political instability and social unrest. Governments in Eastern Europe face increasingly urgent discussions about citizenship and labor rights, particularly as their populations shrink. Some proposals for addressing declining fertility rates have been criticized as superficial, failing to address the core economic issues driving migration and demographic change.
The promise of economic convergence with Western Europe remains largely unfulfilled, with projections indicating that by 2050, Eastern European economies could dwindle to a mere 60% of their Western counterparts. Economic stagnation is compounded by long-term unemployment and underemployment, leading to hesitant expectations toward recovery.