Within every age group, including among older people, there is enormous diversity: in terms of life experience, education, attitudes and socio-economic status.
Attempting to analyse social reality solely on the basis of age groups or ‘generations’ fails to do justice to this diversity. The main cause of the lack of fairness is not the generation gap, but the lack of a fairer distribution of income for everyone, regardless of age. Tax fairness, for example, must be ensured.
Unfortunately, the ‘intergenerational contract’ mentions only young people. Neither those in employment nor older people, nor others who are not active in the paid labour market, are taken into account; their activities are not recognised.
For instance, the strategy paper ignores the unpaid care provided by older people – mostly older women – or the extensive voluntary work that is essential for social cohesion. At present, neither parent would be able to work if the grandparents weren’t constantly stepping in, without pay, to take the strain off them.
Nor does the paper take into account the current global instability and uncertainty people face, nor does it propose any solutions. There is also no proposal for bridging the gap between countries and building a shared and solidarity-based future.
Sustainable development addresses the needs of the present without losing sight of future generations. Fair policymaking means safeguarding the future prospects of those most affected by decisions with long-term consequences; they must have a voice in the debate.
We therefore need meaningful and fair opportunities for participation for young and older people, which include people living in poverty and people with disabilities. Policymakers must organise and monitor this.
Harmful trends such as age discrimination or hostility towards people with disabilities must be identified and tackled in good time, particularly when they take on an institutional character. The increasing use of AI reinforces stereotypes and ageism.
We call on the European Commission to focus on specific problems such as the housing crisis. Affordable and secure housing is just as important for older people as it is for young people.
Young people struggle to find housing at an acceptable rent or an affordable purchase price. Older people are often unable to remain in their affordable homes because they are not accessible. Moving involves high costs, and the rent for another property is usually considerably more expensive. Finding accessible, affordable housing is generally very difficult. Banks often do not provide funding for accessible conversions in one’s own home. In rented accommodation, landlords may require that all alterations be reversed.
The difficulty in accessing housing therefore affects the entire social structure, not just the younger generations. To achieve a fairer social structure, the focus must therefore not be on fairness or justice between the generations, but on tackling privileges and deep-rooted power imbalances.
The introduction of the concept of intergenerational fairness risks unjustifiably pitting the young against the old and creating a new social divide, even though social cohesion is not only possible but also necessary to build a sustainable society.
EGS, 9.5.2026
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