The nebulous “they” say that children are a blessing, children are the future, and that there is no greater act of love than to raise a child. As a mother of two little ones, I can tell you that all of these tropes are true, and then some.

In addition to all that lovey-dovey stuff, having children is exhausting, soul-crushingly stressful, and financially challenging, if not impossible, in many situations. With greater opportunities for women in the workplace and a change in value placement on when and how large to have a family, the question of our collective future is possibly teetering on the edge of nonexistence.

That’s right, if we don’t start popping out more babies, the United States could be on the fast track to ruin with a nation predominantly populated by the elderly and, by the looks of it, immigrants. However, one controversial European leader believes he has the answer to the declining population problem facing many Western and First World nations.