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DEMOGRAPHICS AND MIGRATION: THE EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE THAT THREATENS THE FUTURE OF EUROPE AND THE SURVIVAL OF GREECE. By Vice Admiral (r.e.) V. Martzoukos, Honorary Commander of the Hellenic Navy.

INTRODUCTION Demography is one of the fundamental indicators for predicting future global developments and measuring the national power of states, since its extreme adverse changes lead both humanity and individual nations to irreversible historical appointments, as the effects of these changes can either take on planetary dimensions or, at a state level, directly affect other basic indicators for measuring national power, such as the economy, the armed forces, social cohesion, etc. Within the 20th century, the world population rose from 1.6 to 6.1 billion inhabitants, an unprecedented event in historical terms. Today, in the developed regions of the planet, fertility is characterized by a steady downward trend, in the majority below the critical fertility rate (which is 2.1 offspring per woman, for population maintenance) with a parallel decrease in mortality and an increase in life expectancy. During the 20th century, there was a dramatic increase in migration from underdeveloped to developed areas. During the period 1990 – 2000, developed areas received 2.6 million annually. international immigrants who are currently responsible for 2/3 of the population increase in these areas. The world population, from 6.7 billion in 2007, is expected to reach 9.2 billion inhabitants in 2050 (i.e. an increase of one China and India combined or equal to the world population of 1950). This increase will take place almost exclusively in less developed countries and mainly in urban areas. Based on authoritative sources, the European demographic future is predicted to be bleak even if there is no major military confrontation or ecological or epidemiological disaster. The need to supplement the missing workforce leads Europe to tolerate or even seek to receive large immigrant masses whose influx is already taking on uncontrolled and asymmetric dimensions, due to the demographic explosion in developing countries, the difference in living standards and the regime of violence and conflict that prevails in other regions of the Earth, such as Africa, the Middle East, and the Middle East. East, Central Asia, etc. Not only is Greece not an exception to the broader demographic European problem, but on the contrary, concern for its future takes on an existential character, since the migration storm combined with its total population, its low birth rate, the national threats that surround it and its limited assimilation capacity, especially for Muslims, who constitute the vast majority of immigrants, compose an unstable explosive mixture whose effects affect the survival interests of the nation. Faced with the national imperative to take immediate, radical and systematic measures to address the existential level of this issue, the political leaderships of each time appear helpless, weak-minded, inferior to the circumstances, inspired by confused cosmopolitan ideologies and trapped in petty partisan calculations of political cost. Unfortunately, these leaderships are unable or unwilling to realize that the Greek people elect them to defend exclusively the interests of the nation (and not in offset with the interests of neighbors, allies, international decision-making centers or the suffering of humanity) and that this constitutes their one and only mission. THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROBLEM AND MIGRATION IN EUROPE. The demographic problem concerns almost all developed regions of the planet and results mainly from a decrease in birth rates and an increase in life expectancy, with the result that in most of these regions the average age is steadily increasing, as is the percentage of people over 65 in the total population. However, the U.S. are expected to maintain their population growth throughout the 21st century, while China will increase its population at a slowing rate and from the year 2025 will enter a phase of population decline. The neighboring regions of Europe, N. Africa and M. East will continue to grow significantly and maintain a low median age index, which is currently 20 compared to 40.5 in Europe (in these regions it is expected that the 195 million of economically active residents, in 2000, between the ages of 15 – 64, will reach 289 million. in 2025 and 365 million. in 2050). A decrease is expected in the population of Russia as well as other European CIS countries, since out of a total population of 219 million. in 2005, it is expected to reach 196 million. in 2025 and 164 million. the 2050. The Turkish population is set to increase from 73 million. in 2005, at 90 million. in 2025 and at 101 million. the 2050. In the next 30 years, the ratio of workers to pensioners in industrialized nations will be 1.5/1 compared to the 3/1 it is today. Europeans have not realized the magnitude of their demographic problem, due to immigration, the high birth rate of the past, and the decline in mortality rates. Despite the relative increase in the European population (of the EU-27), its share of the world population has decreased from 13.5% in 1960 to 7.5% in 2008. At the beginning of 2009 the total population of Europe (E.U.) 27) amounted to almost 500 million. residents in the most populous countries: Germany (82.0), France (64.4), the United Kingdom (61.6), Italy (60.0), Spain (45.8) and Poland (38.1). The European population, in 2005, increased by 2.1 million. residents, noting, however, that of these, 300.000 were indigenous and 1.8 million. came from international migration (85%). The European fertility rate has been steadily declining since 1960 and, after falling below the population replacement level (2.1) in the mid-1970s, it currently stands at approximately 1.4 (the lowest in the world), while at the same time the E.U. of 27, has the world's longest life expectancy. Europe is already facing a drastic decline in the proportion of working-age people (labor force) with worsening trends. By 2030, all age groups of native European adults under 65 will shrink, while on the contrary the 80 million. over 65 years old will become 107 million. in 2025 and 133 million. the 2050. In 2005, the European proportion of residents aged over 65, relative to economically active residents (aged 15-65), was ¼, while in 2050 this proportion will have reached ½. The dominant factor determining the size, rate of change and composition of the population of most European countries is international migration and not natural increase (births versus deaths of the native population). Of the approximately 44 million international migrants in Europe, more than 30 million. come from countries outside the EU. of 27. The large number of immigrants increases the European population both through their physical presence and through their increased birth rate (younger ages, cultural and religious culture, etc.). The increase in immigrants from countries outside Epirus and their descendants is creating multicultural societies in Europe in terms of race (e.g. Asians, Africans, Arabs, etc.), religion (mainly Islam) and culture. For example, in England, in 2005, non-white ethnic groups exceeded 10% of the population. European migration policy appears to be rudimentary, fragmented and in any case does not take into account the fact that migration in the future is expected to increase, given population growth trends in underdeveloped countries, the gradual lack of basic food resources and the ecological burden on many regions of the planet, which will exacerbate the lack of basic goods and increase conflicts in these areas. The European effort to maintain the ratio of active population to pensioners hinders the effective adoption of measures against mass and uncontrolled immigration. However, what constitutes a substantial obstacle to the exponential growth of immigrants within the EU. and their integration into European societies is the prevailing liberal perception of things, in which democratic and individual freedoms, respect for human rights, the right to cultural diversity and religious freedom predominate. Opposing voices are weak because they are immediately stigmatized, characterized as "xenophobic", "racist", "far-right", "fascist", etc. It has been statistically established that religious families (and especially religious women) tend to give birth to more children. Given that the religious influence on European populations is now small, while it is strong among mainly Muslim immigrants, with no apparent tendency to diminish it, it is easy to conclude that the large difference in birth rate between these two population groups will be maintained, with all that this entails. Furthermore, it has been observed that immigrant minorities who either consider themselves culturally threatened, or are imbued with dogmatic perceptions, react by maximizing their demographic potential for reasons of survival. The age structure in Europe has changed dramatically due to the decline in the birth rate and the increase in life expectancy. The average age of the population in the EU of 27, is expected to rise from 40.4 years in 2008 to 48 years in 2060. The percentage of the population over 65 years of age has increased from 14% in 1990 to 17% in 2007. As this phenomenon worsens, much greater demands are created for social benefits (e.g. health, pensions, infrastructure, etc.) to the constantly decreasing active population. Maintaining a stable active population in Europe requires the entry of millions of immigrants annually, and it should not be overlooked that immigrants also eventually grow old and in turn enter the categories of the population requiring social support. Predicting the future composition of the European population, as a percentage of native citizens and citizens of foreign origin, is difficult and confusing, given that up to the second generation of foreigners are usually considered as citizens of foreign origin, based on the assumption that the third generation integrates into the local society. Any collapse of the hypothesis of the integration of the coming one or two generations of foreigners in Europe (which is likely with the samples so far), will exponentially, rather than linearly, increase their percentage in the European continent in the future, without even taking into account the parameter of citizens of mixed origin (marriages of natives with immigrants). Overall, it is considered certain that a drastic increase in the total population percentage of foreign origin in Europe is expected in the coming years. Many Europeans make the mistake of judging Islamism according to their own value system and simply classifying it among existing religions, downplaying the fact that it is an ideology with interconnected political, economic and social implications. Islam as a political ideology is constantly promoted in International Organizations and international trade, gaining followers in the Arab world, in Asian states, as well as among immigrants from the Western world. In countries where it prevails, political freedoms, equality before the law (for religious and ethnic minorities), freedom of thought and expression, as well as religious freedom cease. Offenders are subjected to intimidation that threatens their lives at any time, wherever they are. Today, after the bitter experience of multiple deadly bomb attacks within the EU. and after careful investigations, Europe knows that extremist Islam maintains close contact with European Muslims, whom it recruits, organizes, finances and trains. Furthermore, extremist Islam controls the behavior of moderate European Muslims and exerts pressure on them, while native European citizens are now hesitant to behave in accordance with their democratically acquired rights, fearing Islamic retaliation (e.g. Muhammad sketches). At the same time, Islamic states, exploiting their national and religious minorities within the EU, are attempting to gain political and commercial benefits (e.g. Turkey's accession to the EU) or directly threaten Europeans (e.g. Iran, Libya). The rapidly growing Muslim populations of Europe, taking advantage of the goods of Western Democracy, are dynamically and successfully asserting their cultural and religious differentiation (clothing, education, social behavior, mosques, etc.). At the same time, the basic international practice of reciprocity remains inactive, since it is a global phenomenon that in Islamic states (or states with an Islamic majority), Christian populations and churches are persecuted to the point of extinction, while Western visitors are required to strictly observe local cultural customs (e.g. alcohol in public places, clothing, especially for women, behavior such as public kissing, etc.), with offenders facing harsh penalties. DEMOGRAPHIC PROBLEM AND MIGRATION IN GREECE The population of Greece today stands at 11 million. approximately residents. The fertility rate is 1.3 children per Greek woman (meaning a halving of the population in 45 years, which makes recovery very difficult), the birth rate is 9.45 births per 1000 inhabitants, while the death rate is 10.51 per 1000 inhabitants. Life expectancy has reached 79.66 years (77.1 for men and 82.37 for women), while the age range from 0-14 is 14.3%, from 15-64 is 66.6% and over 65 years old, reaches 19.1% (these percentages in 1971 were respectively 25.4%, 63.7% and 10.9%). It is estimated that in 2025, the population of Greece will reach 12 million, of which Greeks will be around 8 million. and of these, 25% will be over 65 years old. According to estimates by the National Statistical Service, in 2050 the proportion of children aged 0-14 will be 13%, the corresponding proportion of people over 65 years of age will reach 32.1%, while the percentage of the economically active population aged 15-64 will have dropped to 54,9%. In our country, we have around 100.000 births and more than 200.000 abortions annually. The report "Economic and Demographic Sustainability of the Social Security System" by the Center for Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) describes the nightmare scenario of the collapse of the social security system (the healthy ratio of workers to pensioners is 4:1), despite the entry of immigrants into the country and the increase in the participation rate of Greeks in the country's workforce. Due to the disadvantages of the modern lifestyle (abortions, alcohol, stress, drugs, etc.), there is a reduced ability to conceive (over 250.000 couples are unable to conceive even with artificial insemination). The decline in marriages, the increase in divorces, and childbearing at older ages are drastically slowing the birth rate. Although women predominate (51.11% of the population), they refuse to marry men in mountainous areas (e.g. farmers), due to changing social standards. Furthermore, private employers pressure women not to marry and have children, for obvious reasons. The main causes of the low birth rate of the Greek population are the abandonment of traditional Greek life standards and the adoption of new social standards, the decline of the values ​​of marriage, family and children, the professional occupation of both parents, social hedonism, the tendency towards financial over-security, the relaxation of morals, infertility, physical and mental fatigue, the overprotection of children, abortions, the aging of the population, migration abroad, urban sprawl, unemployment, traffic accidents, drugs as well as national and global insecurity. Indicative of the decrease in our population is the birth rate per 1000 inhabitants, which in 1935 was 28.16 births, while in 2005 it was 09.69. The virtual numerical preservation of the population is mainly due to immigrants and does not alter the tragic finding that the drastic reduction of the native population puts the country in an existential impasse (non-replenishment and perpetuation of our race, filling of population gaps by Muslim immigrants, non-combatant armed forces, etc.), if its geographical location, the machinations of neighboring states and the lack of related peoples are taken into account. Of the aforementioned factors that lead to low birth rates, the most important is the modern value system and cultural model, the main characteristics of which are mass consumerism, the decline of the traditional institution of the family, and the apotheosis of the concept of individual freedom. The usual economic argument cannot explain the phenomenon of limited births in wealthy families compared to corresponding families of lower economic status. The Greek mother today believes that having many children inhibits her professional development and consequently her personal ambitions and her "social recognition", increases costs beyond the family's means (taking into account the children's living, educational and financial needs, as well as the perception of family financial sufficiency, which includes the home, its modern equipment, the summer house, the car, etc.), deprives the mother of her "individual freedom" and "quality of life" (free time, studies, vacations, changes in physical appearance) and creates a multitude of everyday problems (e.g. difficulty finding housing to rent, child care and safety, long daily hours of work for their nutrition, education and entertainment, etc.). These perceptions of prospective mothers are reinforced by our consumer society, which creates a multitude of apparent "needs" and the media, which promote and reward the "emancipated" woman who has definitively freed herself from "petty bourgeois perceptions" and places "individual rights", as this is egocentrically interpreted these days, in absolute priority. These perceptions of Greek mothers regarding childbearing are also reinforced by political power with the lack of national planning on this issue, its inconsistency and unreliability (laws are passed and piecemeal measures are taken which are often repealed or amended at will with the change of persons or parties in each government). From the 11 million. residents, native Greeks amount to 10.452.500 million. and the rest are immigrants from Albania (481.660), Bulgaria (43.980), Romania (25.375), Ukraine (19.785) Pakistan (15.800), Russia (13.600), Georgia (13.255), India (10.045) and various other ethnicities (72.413). To these estimates should be added an unknown huge number of illegal immigrants who have been entering en masse in recent years, mainly from Evros, the Aegean and Albania. The main nationalities of illegal immigrants include Albanians, Pakistanis, Kurds, Afghans, Iraqis and sub-Saharan Africans (e.g. Somalis, Nigerians, etc.). Our country had 813.353 primary school students in 1990, while in 2000 they reached 643.457 (170.000 fewer within a decade). According to estimates, in 2031 foreign students will number around 600.000, while the corresponding number of Greeks will reach approximately 300.000. The abandonment of the region (lack of incentives, investments, infrastructure, etc.) caused its population to weaken even in nationally sensitive areas such as the Aegean islands and Thrace. Consequently, the political ambition of twenty years ago of settling in the Greek province of the repatriated expatriates (Pontians, Northern Epirus) was nothing more than verbal bluster without any real meaning, since due to the lack of opportunities, even the natives abandoned it. Ultimately, both the repatriates and the foreign immigrants accumulated in the majority in the urban centers of the country and mainly in the Attica basin. In addition to the difficulties of assimilating mainly the hundreds of thousands of Muslim foreign immigrants, our country faces additional risks due to its proximity to Muslim countries or countries with strong Muslim minorities, which either directly threaten its national sovereignty or maintain irredentist intentions against it. The legalization of these Muslim immigrants and, above all, their acquisition of Greek citizenship, in combination with the aforementioned demographic national problem and their own high birth rate, will soon make Greeks a minority in their own country and will dramatically strengthen the claims of neighboring states. If the combination of the demographic problem with immigration creates significant concerns for the European future, in Greece it should have long ago created the national death throes and the instinctive reactions that are reflexively born from the feeling of collective self-preservation, in every healthy society. Instead, inexplicable political inertia is observed as well as social fatalism and passivity which resembles a patient who, having lost every ounce of vitality, self-confidence and will to live, has been left to an imminent slow death. The failure of the political leadership to reduce the issue of "demographics/immigration" to a NATIONAL INTEREST OF SURVIVAL and its provocatively subdued and pretentious treatment (in combination with the post-political loss of the ability to speak the Greek language and knowledge of our History by the younger generations, thanks to successive governments and the constant "visionary reforms" of the Ministry of Education), can be attributed to one of the following causes: - Political naivety equivalent to that of the Ostrich. – Micro-opportunism based primarily on political cost. – Failure to focus politics (intentionally or unintentionally) on the sole mission of the political representatives of the Greek people, which is the defense of Greek National Interests and only them. – Incompetence of the political world, which is exacerbated by the adoption of a vague cosmopolitan, internationalist (and in any case not national) ideological confusion, by a significant portion of the members of the Greek parliament (It is no coincidence that the provocative fact that political leaders and prominent political executives, mainly of the ruling parties, are members of clubs of international composition and unknown administration, which meet with a secret agenda and behind closed doors. Only the naive would believe that the interests of these clubs/organizations are identical with purely national interests. – Combination of the above. THE IMPACTS OF LOW FERTILITY AND MIGRATION IN EUROPE AND GREECE. Given the current demographic situation, it is clear that the European share of the world population will continue to decline. The natural increase in the European population will be negative from 2015 (more deaths than births), while the total European population will continue to increase (due to migration) until 2025, after which its accelerated decline will begin. According to United Nations forecasts, the European population will increase from 472 million to in 2005, to 478 million. in 2025, while in 2050 it will amount to 462 million. The population decline, around the year 2050, will be greatest in Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as in Germany. The policy of multiculturalism that Europe has implemented so far facilitates the creation within its states of national and cultural enclaves of immigrants, unwilling to integrate and adopt European principles and values. This development causes social rivalry and competition between groups of different cultures within a state and undermines its social cohesion, especially when differences are fueled and reinforced by centers outside Europe. It is already known that Muslim communities within Europe are strongly influenced by radical Islam and that continuous, multi-layered and complex communication is maintained with a number of Islamic countries around the world. A key issue that should concern the EU is the required number of immigrants to replenish the declining active population. Assuming zero future migration, the active European population would decrease by 26 million. from 2005 to 2025 and by 66 million. from 2005 to 2050. Any filling of the gap with immigrants would require 1.3 million. active immigrants annually from 2005 to 2025 and 1.6 million from 2025 to 2050. Given that in the best case scenario only 70% of incoming immigrants are of working age, the required immigrants would reach 2.0 million. annually for the period 2005 – 2025 and 2.3 million. annually from 2025 – 2050. Therefore, from 2005 to 2050, a total of 95 million would be required. immigrants in the EU and given the demographic decline in Europe, this number is clearly beyond Europe's capacity to absorb it. Every European country with a birth rate below the replacement limit (2.1), as is the case today, systematically welcoming immigrants, who in fact reproduce at high rates, is mathematically certain to eventually form a population of foreigners who will soon constitute a majority and ultimately dominate completely. Greek public opinion, which is unable to monitor the fluctuation of demographic indicators, does not realize the Damocles sword of demographic collapse and both the state and the media voluntarily or involuntarily maintain this ignorance, with the result that the decades-long non-political treatment of the problem does not bring about social reactions with a corresponding political cost. The migratory flow to our country has mitigated the effects of the demographic problem and postponed the due national response. Public opinion, under the misleading guidance of political parties and the media, invoking internationalist and humanitarian views, has not realized that immigrants are creating an irreversible regime of alteration of the composition of the population, as well as its physiognomy. Greeks are already experiencing the social, economic and cultural impacts of mass migration, such as friction in the labor market, increased tax evasion, an increase in serious crime (murder, robberies, rapes, drug and arms trafficking, trafficking in women, counterfeiting, etc.) and delinquency, while at the same time diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, tropical diseases, AIDS, etc. have increased. In the coming years, the numerous immigrants and mainly their descendants, while maintaining their own ethno-religious characteristics (mainly Afro-Asian Muslims), will demand professional and social advancement, as well as civic participation, thus creating social polarization and tremors in social cohesion (in combination with national population shrinkage, economic hardship and unemployment). It would be easy for the Greek people to understand, with a simple presentation of modest calculations, that if they do not react immediately, their grandchildren will live as a minority in a homeland that socially, economically and culturally will not resemble the Greece of yesterday in any way, while at the national level it will be dominated by neighbors, foreign centers and Great Powers, who, among other things, will use, guide and lead the huge untapped immigrant masses of the interior, to serve their national interests. It has become clear over time that Muslim societies do not assimilate but instead create distinct social and cultural enclaves that are rapidly expanding (due to births), which have no relation to Western standards and values. It has been practically proven that even in supposedly "mild" Muslim minorities, there are no structures and deterrent mechanisms to prevent and isolate fanatical and extreme supporters of Islam. Turkey has already channeled around 3 million. Turkish immigrants in Europe. Its workforce is expected to increase from 35 million. today at 47 million. in 2025 and at 51 million. the 2050. Turkey's possible entry into the EU It will artificially increase the European birth rate but will contribute decisively to the alteration of the cultural traits that characterize it. There is a high probability that former Turkish President Turgut Ozal will be proven right, who argued that "We do not need to provoke a war with Greece, since the population developments of the two peoples will resolve the Cyprus problem and the Aegean." In 1930, the populations of Greece and Turkey amounted to 6.2 and 13.6 million. respectively. Today (after one generation) the populations have grown to 10.2 and 70 million. In 2030 the Greek population will be less than 8 million. and the corresponding Turkish one will reach 100 million. A similar increase in birth rate is also seen in revisionist Albania, which, from 1.2 million in 1945, is now more than 3.5 million, while the Albanians of Tirana, Kosovo and Tetovo together exceed 6.5 million (the population developments in Kosovo, between Serbs and Albanians and their effects, should be of particular concern to us). The fact of existing national threats is well known, with the main one being the Turkish threat, which challenges our national sovereignty and explicitly claims parts of our national territory. The core of the combat capability of our Armed Forces and their deterrent role is their human potential, which comes from the conscription of the young born to Greek mothers. Indicatively, it is reported that young people born in 1978 (class of 1999) were 89.208, while those born in 2000 (class of 2021) are only 50.719 (a decrease of 38.489, within 20 years). This example should take into account reductions in terms of tenure, postponements due to studies and health, non-compliance (mainly abroad), as well as the disproportionate population growth of countries that constitute a national threat, which in the coming years will become overwhelming. The complete replacement of service soldiers with permanent EPOP and EPY soldiers (whose specialization and experience is not underestimated) is estimated to not solve the problem because the permanent soldiers are also getting older, they financially burden the state budget and, above all, they cut off the EDs. by the Greek people (salaried regime), with the result that the fulfillment of the high mission of the Armed Forces is not considered a national affair of the entire society, with its active participation. Furthermore, the reduced term of service adversely affects the reserve of the Armed Forces, while urban sprawl depopulates the border areas and causes major problems in the mobilization of units on the borders, which bear the brunt of the struggle during the initial conflict. The negative effects of low fertility in our country are multiple, interconnected and of many categories. Briefly, the most important ones are listed: – Continuous population aging and, from a certain critical point onwards, irreversible. – Population gaps in the territory and especially in border areas (e.g. (i.e. births in Lesvos, Chios, Samos in 1971 were 1564, 855, 548 respectively, while in 1999 they amounted to 962, 449, and 331). – Increased likelihood of neighboring claims and conflicts with a parallel impairment of the combat capability of the Armed Forces. – Insufficient workforce, disproportionate increase in the ratio of workers to retirees with significant economic and social impacts. The French journalist epitomized this fact: "No children today, no pension tomorrow." – Small domestic tax and consumption base with ever-worsening economic impacts (e.g. Turkey's market of 80 million is more attractive than the Greek one of 10 million) – Strong incentive for mass illegal immigration. – Gradual loss of Greek culture and Greek self-awareness, with the risk of the final extinction of Hellenism. CONCLUSIONS – PROPOSALS The main strategies for temporarily and immediately addressing the phenomena of the aging of the European population and the reduction of the native active population are summarized in the following and certainly the implementation of one of them does not negate the implementation of the others: – Higher rate of participation of the active population, especially women. This solution requires an appropriate increase in childcare infrastructure (daycare centers, all-day schools, transportation, etc.). – Higher retirement ages and depending on life expectancy. It is characteristic that in 2003, the employment rate of people aged 65-74 in Europe reached 5.6%, while in the USA 18.5%. – Appropriate immigration policy. It is a fact that of the approximately 1.7 million immigrants entering Europe annually, only a small percentage meet the labor requirements of the host countries, in terms of educational infrastructure, specialization and skills. Already, some countries such as France and England have appropriately amended their legislation in order to accept immigrants who meet the relevant criteria as a priority. If the flow of immigrants to Europe continues at the current pace and European immigration policy does not change, an increasing and ultimately irreversible transition to a European population of foreign origin is evident long before the end of the 21st century, with all that this entails for European civilization as we know it (Western cultural and social conquests, values ​​and standards). History refutes the theories of "intellectuals" about multicultural states and societies, since in the past only turbulent multicultural empires existed and these were not governed democratically but with an iron fist. Countries like the USA, without a long history and founded by immigrants, are a different case. However, even in these countries, common cohesive bonds such as the Western value system, the English language and the cultivation of national consciousness are required and imposed. Utopian "multicultural" views either stem from naive embellishments of existing problems, or from fraudulent designs (most likely), using easily digestible slogans such as "society without borders", "universal human rights", "global governance", "planet of autonomous citizens", "international solidarity of proletarians", etc. The creation of "multicultural societies" seems to favor immigrants over time and endanger Western achievements. Consequently, Europe, for reasons of self-preservation, should implement a comprehensive migration strategy and take rapid measures to integrate immigrants into local host societies, which will also constitute a necessary condition for their stay in European states (at a minimum, implementation of the principle of reciprocity with Muslim states). Furthermore, Europe should control the phenomenon of migration both quantitatively (percentages per European state) and qualitatively (specialization of immigrants according to European needs and degree of assimilation). In addition to repressive measures against Islamic terrorism, the West should undertake a systematic and extensive campaign to combat the ideology of extremist Islam, which constitutes the opposing Center of Gravity. Finally, for the effective treatment of European low fertility, the following suggestions apply to the case of Greece. Immigration to Greece should not be approached only with humanitarian criteria and economic benefit terms (and these are debatable). Immigration policy should take into account the medium-term and long-term impacts on national sovereignty, social cohesion, the Armed Forces, crime and all forms of vital interests of native Greek citizens. Our country should determine as soon as possible quantitative (maximum acceptable number) and qualitative (specialization, ages, expected degree of integration into society, etc.) criteria for receiving immigrants. Greek citizenship should be granted under very strict criteria (and in any case stricter than the European average, due to national and geographical particularities). The Greek parties in power are promoting (albeit under conditions) Turkey's accession to the EU. and they pressure the remaining hesitant Europeans to do so, who are astonished by the persistence of the victim for the benefit of the aggressor, who prohibits the exercise of Greek sovereign rights under the threat of war and directly declares his revisionist intentions. None of these Greek politicians has, of course, adequately explained how a European Turkey will refrain from its ambitions and revisionism (now playing a central role in Europe and in the absence of institutional European guarantees), as well as how a peaceful population and economic invasion of our sensitive, sparsely populated border areas will be prevented. The modern Greek woman is not going to create a large family with arguments like "strengthening the workforce", "risk of pension cuts", "preserving and strengthening the social security system", etc. The main issue is to change our value system with an emphasis on collectivism, solidarity and social cohesion as opposed to the prevailing individualism, competition, reduced sense of security and lack of vision for the future. This change should be accompanied by the adoption of relevant financial measures of a subsidiary nature. The Greek woman will have children when the following minimum conditions are met: – Creation of a Deputy Ministry within the Ministry of the Interior for the preparation and implementation of a long-term national strategic plan for Demography and the support of the Greek large family. – Creation of a permanent cross-party committee on the GREEK POPULATION, enriched with personalities from the fields of science, the market and large families, with the aim of monitoring the implementation of the relevant measures and dynamically submitting proposals for their improvement or change, depending on the measured results. – Preparation of a national economic development plan for the country (especially the region) and its cross-party implementation, for economic recovery, reducing unemployment, retaining the population in the region and reducing the outflow of youth abroad. – Spatial planning of land use, land reparcelling and support for farmers to increase their land area. – Creation of sufficient full-day nurseries and kindergartens for Greek citizens (planning to operate during the summer months, due to parents' work) – Establishment of neonatal centers and pregnancy counseling centers in the region. – Free childbirth for Greek women from the third child onwards. Subsidy for artificial insemination procedures (up to a certain number of attempts). – Exemption from homeownership tax, first residence tax, parental benefit and inheritance tax, for Greek large families and depending on family income. Granting favorable loans for the acquisition of a first home with graduated tax exemptions depending on the number of children and family income. – Exemption from consumption tax, for cars up to 2000 cc, for Greek families of four or more children, depending on family income. – Free medical care for every child of a large Greek family, until adulthood, in public hospitals. – Allowance from the third child onwards (on an ascending scale) to Greek citizens, until the child reaches adulthood and depending on family income. – Partial subsidy for owners who rent their homes to large Greek families. – To distribute basic food items to large Greek families at regular intervals, depending on their income. – Co-serving spouses of large families. – Support for single-parent Greek families and single Greek mothers as well as their social acceptance (adaptation to new social realities). – Additional points awarded in ASEP competitions for recruitment in the broader public sector, to one of the four children or two of the five children of large families. – Gradual increase in notional service time for parents with many children, with a favorable impact on their salary and pension. – Incentives for private businesses to hire parents with many children, with corresponding tax exemptions. – Series of discounts on public utility organizations and means of transportation, for large families. – Special incentives for the settlement of Greeks with many children in border areas (loans, housing, etc.) – Priority for children of large Greek families in the provision of public scholarships, provided that they certainly meet the relevant performance requirements. – Income tax deduction for donations to associations of Greek families with many children. – Tax burden on childless people, as long as they are of reproductive age (with the exception of those who have adopted children). – Simplification and acceleration of procedures for the adoption of children by Greek parents, within or outside the country. – Creation of a “Demographic Fund”, which will grant the statutory benefits only to Greek citizens. The provision of benefits through insurance funds is wrong, since it mainly benefits foreigners who usually have more than three children. The fund's revenues should also be supported by fundraisers at home and abroad (e.g. expatriate community), outside the budget. – Transfers of Greek university and technical education students, members of large Greek families to a common place of study, should be favorably considered. – Legislative and ethical obstacles to abortions (e.g. obligation of a prospective Greek mother to understand, with the help of science, the living organism she is carrying and to be given time for second thoughts, or abortions to be allowed only in cases of health risks or significant social and psychological consequences, such as rape, for example). – Systematic campaign to reduce road accidents. – Shaping the educational curriculum of all levels of the Ministry of Education in a way that highlights the many children and their education as a source of substantial creation, contribution, joy and happiness. – Compulsory conscription of men and women, immediately after their participation in the Panhellenic exams for one or two times (18 – 19 years old). Women in particular should have the alternative option of community service, of equal duration, after basic military training. – Additional facilities for large military families, due to the peculiarities and adversities of their function (e.g. lack of a schedule, non-union representation, frequent transfers, burdens and absences, etc.). – Deurbanization through a series of measures and incentives for the region. – Invoking a national sense of responsibility of the media (and beyond narrow commercial cost/benefit calculations), as decisive shapers of public opinion, in order to promote, reward and respect the mother of many children (working or not), who, transcending egotism and complacency and without abandoning her individual achievements, serves life (a supreme challenge), giving birth to Greek citizens with a corresponding upbringing and education. In addition, the media should systematically highlight the dangers of low birth rates, national threats and the effects of the reduction in the combat capability of the Armed Forces. – Maintaining and increasing the Church's involvement in the social work of strengthening large Christian Greek families, with systematic actions, directly noticeable by them. – Systematic public awareness, with the help of statistical science, of the fact that children of large families may start out with a financial disadvantage, which is however outweighed by fraternal solidarity, love and competition, which makes them mentally stable and combative. – Stricter citizenship law, beyond the average of its counterparts in the EU, taking into account the specificities of the country (e.g. unbalanced ratio of immigrants and natives, insinuations from neighbors of the same religion, etc.), with basic criteria being the substantial adoption of the language, education and cultural perception, practice and behavior of the host country. – Combating illegal immigration with a series of security measures and disincentives to stay. – Setting a maximum limit of immigrants and establishing admission criteria, based on needs, their respective professional specialization and their estimated degree of integration into Greek society. EPILOGUE We are living in an era of global dynamic developments and a transitional period in the international environment. Global economic, energy, technological, military, social and ecological variables compose a competitive environment in which new planetary powers emerge. At this crucial moment, energy-dependent Europe, without a common foreign and defense policy, without a comprehensive strategy for its international role, has not definitively decided either on the limits of this enlargement (definitive borders), or on the degree of its deepening (federation with a strong center and a unified voice or a loose Europe of 27 independent states). In addition to the complex of the above problems, Europe faces a maximum risk of internal collapse from the combination of its acute demographic problem and the massive migration, within it, of mainly Muslim masses who do not integrate into the society hosting them and do not adopt its principles and values. The EU It must immediately wake up and decide accordingly at a political and strategic level, taking an appropriate package of measures for both its demographic problem and immigration. The current Western secular state, having been shaped by the democratic principles and concept of justice of ancient Greece, the legal and administrative Roman system, Christianity, humanism and the Enlightenment, constitutes perhaps the most tolerant, protective and friendly environment worldwide towards every foreign and diverse population community within it. This fact, after all, is the magnet that attracts foreign immigrants. However, at some point, boundaries, decisions, behaviors and actions between "xenophobia" and "voluntary self-destruction" must be set and defined. The stigmatization and the gratuitous classification of those who are concerned and point out facts indisputably, in extreme political spaces, exacerbates the looming impasse and mortgages the future of the descendants of the Western world. Furthermore, the proposed solutions for immigration should in no way include violence against foreigners, but rather absolute respect and adaptation on their part to Western customs and cultural heritage, as well as strict implementation of the Constitution and the existing legislation of the host country. The guest immigrant, as long as he expresses a desire for permanent residence, must integrate into the society that he himself chose in order to unite his future and destiny and not to set up a parasitic state within a state with his fellow citizens. In particular, the Muslim immigrant, in order to remain, must at a minimum officially accept that the Constitution and the laws of the state, voted by the elected representatives of the citizens for the citizens, prevail in every case over the "divine", rigid laws of his religion. This assumption constitutes the quintessence of the secular state, which the West has managed to have today, after harsh spiritual struggles during the Middle Ages and modern times, which cost millions of lives. Greece is already in a state of diminished national sovereignty due to its dire economic situation, in which the post-colonial political world implicated it with impunity, for at least the next two generations. The unprecedented national debt is unfortunately combined with corruption and high deficits as well as zero performance in investment, research, development, competitiveness, technology, etc. Several politicians and their numerous administrative employees knowingly misused public money or squandered it or cooperated with their silence and tolerance (it is now considered naive to punish the guilty or return the stolen goods). The appeasing national strategy pursued in every direction has emboldened even our weakest neighbors. The blurred internationalist ideological "progressive" culture of many politicians and academics has deprived the younger generations of the language, history and Greek tradition (a prerequisite for national disintegration). The unreliability of political party leaders imposes international surveillance and European observers on the country in order for it to do the obvious. It is absolutely imperative that the Greek people mature politically by honoring the good of Democracy that they enjoy (even if in a distorted way). Popular maturity, which is a prerequisite for Democracy, should lead the Greek citizen to choose the best available human resources and not to repeatedly elect inadequate, non-working, demagogues, and selfish leaders who are artfully imposed, within the "democratic framework", by the foreign and local elite of interests (international political and economic decision-making centers, foreign and local businessmen, paid internationalists, professors and journalists, etc.). It seems (fortunately) that cheap expressions such as "I assume political responsibility", "we have done our self-criticism", "we are leaving yesterday behind", "we are starting with a new vision", etc., which are not accompanied by actions and works, no longer convince Greek citizens. The current political establishment will have shown signs of sincere remorse for its national-scale, timeless blunders, only if, even now, by leading by example, it takes a series of political, economic, military and social decisions in order to effectively address critical national issues such as the restoration of morality and national spirit, the exercise of our sovereign rights, the real deterrence of Turkish, Albanian and Macedonian claims, the addressing of the demographic and migration problem, the national economic recovery, the direct and beneficial exploitation of national energy reserves, security, equality, social justice and cohesion, etc. Effectively responding to these obligations and challenges will remove the country from the path of destruction, eliminate the current feeling of shame of the Greek citizen and restore the glory of the name "Hellas", which is currently cited internationally as an example to be avoided. Politicians owe it, if not to us, at least to our children. GREEK ARTICLES USED 1. Anagnostakis D. – Anagnostaki L. "Thoughts on the Demographic Problem of our Country", 20 – October – 2005, Bulletin of the First Pediatric Clinic of the University of Athens, Volume 52, Issue 4, Oct. – Nov. – Dec. 2005. 2. Hellenic Parliament "Study of the Demographic Problem of the Country and Formulation of Proposals for its Effective Addressing", Feb. 1993. 3. Ganotis K. "The Demographic Problem", Sept. 2010, PROSLALIA 4. Georgiadis P. "Europe in the Vortex of Demographic Collapse", 23 – Feb. – 2011, CURRENT. 5. ASPE Directorate "The Demographic Problem - The Large Family", Issue 4, July - September 2000. 6. ERMIPPOS "The Demographic Problem of Greece", Thursday 07 Dec. 2006. 7. EXPRESS "Acute Demographic Problem", 13 – Feb. – 2009, www.express.gr 8. Kazoukas H. "Impact of Greece's Demographic Problem on Conscription", EL.E.S.M.E., PROBLEMATISMOI, Issue 22. 9. Kargakos S. "The Demographic Problem…Considerations", 12 – April 2008. 10. Lolis D. "The Dimensions of the Demographic Problem of Greece", IXEK 18 – March – 2009. 11. POLYTEKNOI, “The Greek Population is Changing Mainly Due to Immigration”, ELEFTHEROTYPIA, 24 – Jan. - 2011. 12. Romanou K.P. "Low Fertility, Multiculturalism and the Turn of the State against the Nation", Hellenic Lines, 27 – July. – 2008, egrammes.gr 13. SEETHA (study), "The Demographic Problem of the Country and its Impact on the Armed Forces", Dec. 2010. 14. Symeonidou L. "The Demographic Problem is Evolving into a Nightmare", 17 – January – 2009, Hellenic Lines, e-grammes.gr 15. Schiniotakis "Founding a Greece without Greeks", 12 – July – 2010, www.antinews.gr FOREIGN 1. Alexiev Alex 'Europe's Islamist Future is Now', June 24, 2005. 2. Byrnes Sholto 'Europe's Problem with Islam', New Statesman, 30 Nov. 2009, www.newstateman.com 3. Caldwell Christopher 'Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Immigration, Islam and the West', London, Allen Lane, 2009. 4. Guitta Olivier 'Cultural Weapons that Radicalize Europe's Muslims', In Focus, Winter 2007. 5. Muenz R. "Aging and Demographic Change in European Societies: Main Trends and Alternative Policy Options", March 2007. 6. Pipes Daniel 'The Challenge of Islamism in Europe & the Middle East', Sept. 23, 2004, www.danielpipes.org 7. Population Trends. Trends in Growth, Composition and Migration, Oct. 2009. 8. Tibi Bassam, 'Islamists Approach Europe: Turkey's Islamist Danger', The Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2009. 9. Vidino Lorenzo 'The Tripartite Threat of Radical Islam to Europe', In Focus, Winter 2007. 10. Yfantopoulos JN "Demographic Trends and Socioeconomic Indicators in EU and Greece", 2005.