“Without children there is no country” Russian parliament passes law against propaganda for childlessness
November 12, 2024, 1:55 p.m
The Russian parliament passed a law on Tuesday against “propaganda” for voluntary childlessness. The Duma deputies voted unanimously in favor of the bill in the final reading.
The law should apply to contributions on the Internet, in traditional media as well as to advertising and films in which a “rejection of having children” is advocated. Violations are to be punished with fines of between 400,000 rubles (around 3,800 euros) for individuals and five million rubles (48,000 euros) for companies. The law still needs to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.
It is a “fateful law” for Russia, said Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin. “Without children there will be no country.”
Russia faces the challenges of an aging population and low birth rates. The Kremlin, the powerful Russian Orthodox Church and prominent conservative public figures repeatedly propagate so-called “traditional values.” These are intended to act both as a bulwark against liberal ideas from the West and as a means of halting Russia’s demographic decline.
