A radical left-wing German feminist’s comments urging Western societies to have fewer children and accept more immigration have sparked a fierce backlash on social media, with critics accusing Verena Brunschweiger of promoting the decline of Europe’s white population.
The controversy erupted after Brunschweiger, a prominent advocate of the ‘childfree movement,’ gave an interview to Australian news website news.com.au, arguing that falling birth rates should not be viewed as a crisis. She rejected concerns raised by tech billionaire Elon Musk over population decline.
Musk, who has repeatedly warned that collapsing birth rates pose an existential threat to Western civilisation, recently described Australians as an “endangered species” as the country’s fertility rate continues to fall.
Brunschweiger dismissed Musk’s concerns, claiming that pro-natalist campaigns are driven by attempts “to control women, and keep refugees out.” She argued that many right-wing politicians want white women to have more children in order to preserve demographic majorities.
The author of the 2019 book Childfree, Not Childless went further by saying Western countries have a “moral duty” to reduce their own populations while accepting more refugees and immigrants because wealthy nations bear greater responsibility for climate change.
Brunschweiger also described remaining childfree as both environmentally responsible and a form of female empowerment, arguing that motherhood reinforces traditional gender roles and limits women’s independence.
The interview fits into the narrative Brunschweiger is pushing. She regularly bashes the “patriarchy”—something women have to “fight.” According to her, going childfree is the best way to do that.
Her remarks quickly spread across social media, drawing sharp criticism from conservative commentators.
German right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt accused Brunschweiger of promoting the extinction of white Europeans: “she is pro large immigrant families—she wants to reduce the white population to ELIMINATE right-wing AfD voters!”
In France, Christian Lechevalier of the Rassemblement National party accused Brunschweiger of seeking to erase Europe’s Christian white population by encouraging Muslim immigration, branding her a “traitor” in a post on X.
Italian journalist Francesca Totolo also condemned the comments, arguing that it is progressive ideology—not demographics—that is destroying Europe.
