Zamagni Spouses (University of Bologna), “Bonuses and subsidies do not effectively support families”

“All the improvised public measures often introduced to help families, such as a bonus for newborn children or different subsidies to support education, do not reach the goal of effectively supporting families, because they lack continuity and assuredness.” This was said by Vera Zamagni, who spoke this morning with her husband Stefano, both professors of History of Economics at the University of Bologna, during the panel discussion on The Family: A Resource for Society, at the World Meeting of Families being held in Dublin. The professor indicated that what is necessary is “lighter taxation for families, depending on their composition and source of income.” In his opinion, the objective should be to “promote the generative role and support families, by reducing the uncertainty that weighs on people today because of job insecurity.”

The expert considers appropriate “a tax system that supports the family structurally and not with temporary measures.” Another important aspect of the policies intended for families, according to the Zamagni spouses, is that of “the relationship between work and family life” which they would like to see “reconciled.” “We are in favor of the harmonization of work with family life, while the latter should include activities aimed not only at educating children but sharing the inter-family lives in the Church and in civil society.”