At the Voice of the Elderly portal, we are launching a campaign to establish a
European Commissioner for the Elderly.
In the European Union, human rights and a dignified life at all stages of life are among its core values. Leaders of the member states in the Council of Europe have committed to upholding the social standards enshrined in the Social Charter and other Council of Europe acts, urging everyone to adhere to these principles. There is an international consensus that European countries strive to promote and protect the right to social protection, an adequate standard of living, and the highest attainable standard of physical and mental well-being. Among social protection rights, healthcare and social security are critical—areas where the elderly often face the most significant deficiencies.
Eurostat had already highlighted in 2018 the increasing number and share of older adults living alone in the European Union, with older women particularly standing out. We looked into the situation in Romania, a country of 20 million people, which includes vast and often hard-to-reach areas.
According to the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, which cares for the elderly, Romania has 3.7 million people aged 65 or older, of whom 1 million live entirely alone, while an additional 2 million are widowed, divorced, or unmarried. The Romanian foundation is one of the few that actively monitors and assists these individuals. However, they cannot reach all lonely and needy elderly people who have no one else in their lives. Similarly, the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy reports that nearly half a million people aged 65 or older live alone in Bulgaria. This accounts for almost a tenth of the population. Germany has just under 20 million people aged 65 or older, followed by Italy (13 million), France (13 million), and Spain (9 million).
• Lithuania: 49% of people aged 65+ live alone.
• Romania: 33% (over 1.3 million people).
• Italy: nearly 30%; among those aged 75+, more than 40%.
• Estonia: 37% …
Demographic changes in the EU require policy adaptations in areas such as pension systems, healthcare and social protection, and the labor market to
effectively address the challenges of an aging society.
Europe Needs a Commissioner for the Elderly! At Voice of the Elderly, we are committed to achieving a societal consensus at the EU level and adopting high standards for social and healthcare support for the elderly. This is for the generation that laid the foundation for the European Union, defended it,
achieved its independence and preserved its peace. While 448.4 million EU citizens have their needs and rights represented under 27 commissioners are responsible for various fields; there is still no commissioner for one of life’s most fundamental aspects: the third stage of life. This is even though 95.6 million elderly people in Europe already make up nearly a quarter of the population. Given the rising number of elderly people in Europe and the challenges Governments face in addressing this issue, individual countries are unable to tackle the aging pandemic alone. However, as a community, we can support a common goal that benefits future generations: electing a Commissioner for the Elderly.