José Cordeiro and Felix Werth discover how the drive for longevity is shaping new political landscapes in Europe.
Longevity is changing into increasingly more a serious concern world wide, however notably in Europe which is the continent with the oldest inhabitants on this planet – and it’s ageing quick. In line with Eurostat, all European international locations have comparatively long-life expectations, with a mean of 81.5 years for the continent, from the best in Spain with 84.0 years to the bottom in Bulgaria with 75.8 years. Only for comparability, among the many main international locations, with further United Nations statistics, Japan has the longest life expectancy on this planet with 84.95 years, the US with 79.74 years, China with 78.79 and India with 72.03 years. The bottom life expectancy on this planet is in Chad with solely 53.68 years, and different African international locations have additionally low life expectations within the 50s and 60s.
Spain because the longevity chief within the European Union
Spain has the longest life expectancy of any nation within the European Union, and Madrid is essentially the most longevous capital within the Union. Thus, a brand new social gathering known as Futuro was born in Madrid throughout the Covid19 pandemic to handle the urgent problems with the long run, together with longevity. Throughout my marketing campaign to the European Parliament, I (José Cordeiro) emphasised that we aren’t from the left nor from the correct – we’re from the long run. My major fear is Spain with its aged and ageing inhabitants, and so I made a proper proposal to create the European Anti-Getting older Company in Tenerife, the place there are already many providers and merchandise for the quick ageing inhabitants, each native and from Northern European international locations, the place individuals migrate to the Canary Islands for retirement.
After accumulating the required signatures to take part within the European Elections, the marketing campaign was swift. Throughout 4 weeks we promoted the concepts of longevity, life extension and doable rejuvenation applied sciences on the horizon. It’s estimated that near 90% of the Spanish inhabitants dies of age-related ailments, so ageing is the primary widespread enemy of the individuals in Spain, particularly, and in Europe, on the whole. Sadly, the election was very polarized between left and proper – in actual fact, even between excessive left and excessive proper – and the extra visionary events like ours had a tough time competing. Nonetheless, Futuro had nearly 6,000 votes in its first European Election, and hopefully will achieve much more within the subsequent elections 5 years from now.
Germany: Social gathering for Biomedical Rejuvenation Analysis
In Germany a single-issue social gathering exists since 2015 – the German Party for Biomedical Rejuvenation Research. It has participated in 23 elections to this point, and makes use of its election campaigns to advertise the SENS damage-repair method and to advocate for extra authorities funding for this subject. Its greatest election outcomes have been 0.5 p.c of the votes in three of the state elections, though its identify was Social gathering for Well being Analysis again then.
On this 12 months’s European Election, the social gathering obtained about 18,000 votes, measuring as much as round 0.05 p.c. Though the variety of votes was fairly low this time, the participation was nonetheless worthwhile due to all of the advocacy that was finished within the election marketing campaign. Commercials have been aired on TV and radio reaching thousands and thousands of individuals, and election posters have been displayed throughout Germany, resulting in many social media posts and different appearances. Furthermore, there was quite a lot of media protection of the social gathering and its considerations, and plenty of individuals turned conscious of rejuvenation analysis by the self-explanatory social gathering identify. The social gathering additionally makes use of its web site to tell the general public in regards to the subject intimately.
Extra initiatives
Another European international locations, like Belgium and France, for instance, have additionally had advocacy teams selling longevity, however not but political events. One other case was the UK earlier than Brexit, in 2019, when there was additionally a candidate who based his campaign in life extension during the last European election the place Britain participated. Sadly, the candidate was not elected, and Britain left the European Union anyway.
Single situation events have slowly appeared in the previous couple of many years throughout the continent – first the inexperienced events, and later the pirate events, for instance. Now could be the time for the longevity events throughout Europe, and throughout the entire world. Longevity has lastly grow to be a urgent situation, and politics has to handle it. As Victor Hugo supposedly stated: “There’s nothing extra highly effective than an concept whose time has come.”
About José Cordeiro, PhD
José is an engineer from MIT, member of the World Academy of Artwork & Science, board director of The Millennium Undertaking, coauthor of the worldwide bestseller The Death of Death, and Spanish candidate to the European Parliament.
About Felix Werth
Felix has a Grasp’s Diploma in electrical and laptop engineering and a Bachelor’s Diploma in biochemistry and is the Chairman of the German Social gathering for Biomedical Rejuvenation Analysis and German candidate to the European Parliament.
