Far-right blames Spain’s low birth rate on casual sex

A POLITICIAN in Spain’s hard-right party has blamed a culture of casual sex for the country’s low birth rate and population decline.

Juan García-gallardo, who heads up the Vox party in the Castilla y León region, said the “trivialisation of sex” and a “hyper-sexualised” society had created a generation of young people who seek pleasure instead of taking on the responsibility of raising a family.

“Because we forget that sex is clearly something that’s very pleasurable but whose principal end is procreation, we see people escaping the bonds of family and marriage in order to devote their existence to sexual pleasure,” said Mr García-gallardo, a 31-year-old lawyer who has no children.

Speaking at a conference on the decline of rural communities held in Zamora, one of Spain’s most sparsely populated provinces, Mr García-Gallardo added that “fickle men and women” were no longer prepared to commit to rearing children.

Spain’s fertility rate is among the lowest in Europe at 1.37 births per woman. The low rate is usually attributed to high unemployment, an overheated property market and a lack of state aid for young families. The country’s popu- lation is predicted to halve by 2100.

Vox has taken up the issue as part of its battle against what it calls the “death culture” presided over by Spain’s Leftwing government, which has legalised euthanasia for some patients and is seeking to broaden access to abortion.

Mr García-gallardo sprang to fame in February’s snap election in Castilla y León, when he won enough votes for

‘Hyper-sexualised society has created a generation who seek pleasure instead of raising a family’

Vox to enter a coalition government with the conservative Popular Party (PP), and is one of its most vocal members. It is the first time the party has been in power since its formation in 2013.

In the run-up to the election, Mr García-gallardo was challenged over some of his old social media posts that mocked the idea of gay marriage and joked about sexual equality.

Vox wants to limit immigration and expel all foreigners who do not possess residency permits.