Last resort: These countries have told citizens to go on holiday to improve national birthrates. Photo / Getty Images
Last resort: These countries have told citizens to go on holiday to improve national birthrates. Photo / Getty Images
While European politicians are getting their knickers in a twist about stalling birth rates, the answer might just be to relax and take a vacation.
Hungary's premier Viktor Orban wants his country to make more babies.
The prime minister, who is also leader of the fiercely anti-immigration Fidesz party, expressed concerns during his state of the nation address that birth rates are stagnant in Hungary.
The population is falling by 32,000 a year.
Instead of relying on net immigration to balance out stagnating birth rates, the politician decided to create a number of incentives to encourage couple to conceive: "We do not need numbers. We need Hungarian children."
'Hungarians think differently': Victor Orban, Hungarian PM and Fidesz leader. Photo / Beata Zawrzel, Getty Images
"Hungarian people think differently," said Orban. But perhaps not differently enough.
The anti-immigration rhetoric sounds familiar to German Alternative für Deutschland slogans that appeared around Germany during the last election – "New Germans? We'll make them ourselves."
These political adverts caused a stir when they appeared around German resorts and city centres during the 2017 summer holidays.
Perhaps this was due to their echoing of previous generations' political interference in the process of making babies.
There are still those for whom Nazi Germany's campaigns for 'breeding a master race' are still in living memory, wrote Time magazine in a special report on Europe's "baby crisis".
As recently as the 1960s the Romanian dictator Ceausescu launched nefarious plans to artificially tamper with birth rates which lead to a spike in death-rates and back alley abortions.
Nothing could be further from getting couples in the mood to procreate.
Bunking off: On September 12, Russian couples are encouraged to go on holiday and make babies. Photo / Getty Images
Serbia's Woman's Platform were outraged when their government openly suggested paying women to get knocked up. "We're equal citizens, not birthing machines," came the gender equality party's response.
It's not just Hungary and Serbia which have noticed the decline in baby strollers. Across Europe births have taken a nose-dive.
But the answer to nativists' obsession with making babies might just be to take a break.
Holidays are the answer.
In 2005 Russia declared a national "Procreation Day."
On September 12, couples are encouraged to "bunk off" work, go on holiday and create more Russians.
No region took this message more to heart than Ulyanovsk – a part of the central Urals which counts Vladimir Lenin among its more famous babies.
The regional governor took the liberty to declare another unofficial holiday on June 12, nine months later, to measure the performance of participants.
Vladimir Lenin Memorial: Ulyanovsk's memorial to its most famous baby, Vladimir Lenin. Photo / Getty Images
The June festivities involve presenting prizes such as washing machines, TVs and even cars to couples who give birth exactly nine months after the public "procreation" holiday.
According to The Independent previous winners have been rewarded with luxury items - the 2012 winners were presented with an apartment and the 2011 winners drove their newborn home behind the wheel of a prize Jeep.
Although the paper suggested that the rise of the positive spin surrounding the "day of conception" coincided with the emergence of an anti-gay legislation around the country.
Whether it's getting away from the daily grind or exploring a new location, holidays seem to aid in the process of making babies.
For Denmark: In 2014 Denmark decided it had too few babies. Photo / Sean Gallup, Getty Images
In 2014, the tiny kingdom of Denmark found itself shrinking further.
With a birth rate of just 1.7, the population of 5.6million Danes were imploding.
The country which is not known to shy away from the sexually blunt messaging came up with an ideal slogan: "Do it for Denmark."
The Danish travel agency Spies Resjer came up with a patriotic plan to offer a free "child-friendly holiday" and three years of nappy supplies to anyone who could prove they conceived while on a holiday booked though the company.
Accompanying this campaign was an X-rated TV advert which would make Danish director Lars von Trier blush.
It seems to have been received wisdom that people have more sex on holiday. However the studies – however dubious the numbers – seem to back up the theory.
Psychology Today cites the reason for couples having more sex on holiday is due to the novel surroundings. Dr Amy Muise suggested for best results couples should pick a new destination for the "arousal associated with a novel experience" or the setting in this instance.
Holidays "increase feelings of intimacy, and as a result, heighten passion," said Dr Muise.
Instead of resorting to nativist politics and commoditising the reproductive cycles of their electorate – European politicians should just relax! Cut couples some slack.
It seems they could do a lot worse than encourage their citizens to take some leave and book a cheap holiday.
