Publication

Intergenerational fairness - a myth?!

• Millennials,
• youth
• intergenerational fairness

Intergenerational fairness could also be described as a deception manoeuvre or a construction. Often in Germany the argument of intergenerational fairness has been used by conservatives and neoliberals to justify the imposition of austerity policies. Measures such as the balanced budget provision “Schuldenbremse”, a fiscal policy element that was added to the German constitution in 2009, resulted in social immobility, inequality, precarity and isolation. It was introduced in order to save future generations from having to deal with major debts. We as young socialists however believe that no one stands to gain by stating or staging a conflict between the Millennials or Baby Boomers generation. The actual disagreement that there is, is a political one: there are those who are in favour of the free market, limited government and private ownership and those who fight for improving public services and investing in these for the sake of future generations.

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Michelle Rauschkolb, Young European Socialists (YES) Vice President commeting FEPS Speri Study: Intergenerational fairness in post-crisis Europe: A comparative study