The Slovenian insurance industry opened its flagship annual conference this week with an uncomfortable truth. Their sector is not and should not try to be fashionable. Nor, as Sergej Simoniti put it, should it be designed for Instagram.

Simoniti, head of the organising committee and director of Coface Slovenia, used his keynote address to confront a central dilemma. How can a profession rooted in complexity and long-term thinking communicate its message in a culture that increasingly rewards simplicity and spectacle. “If insurance becomes entertaining,” he warned, “we are already beyond what insurance is. We are selling illusions.”

He described a public discourse that has become binary and performative. One that prefers immediacy over substance and indulges a creeping cultural infantilism. “Insurance needs a new language,” Simoniti argued. “Not to make it easier to swallow, but to make it understandable again.”

The mood shifted decisively with the headline lecture by British criminologist Dr Keith Hayward, who painted a sobering picture of societal regression.

“Just as fish rot from the head, so too does infantile politics begin at the top and spread through the body of democracy.”

In Hayward’s framing, Western societies are experiencing not merely a loss of maturity, but a collapse of adulthood as a cultural value. Leaders have become mirrors of their own narcissism. Institutions have surrendered to the logic of applause. In a world that idealises youth and disdains complexity, the very concept of maturity has become suspect.

Hayward argued that the true agent of this shift is not ideology but advertising. Where Orwell once described propaganda as the sound of a stick striking a slop bucket, Hayward updated the metaphor. “The stick is still there,” he said, “but now it is wielded by children.” Advertising no longer appeals to reasoning adults but to consumers conditioned to behave like children. The goal is not to inform but to persuade without resistance.

In this environment, he said, the ideal consumer is impulsive, suggestible and disengaged from consequence. “They want now, not later. They do not lead. They must be led. Freedom will be replaced by managed safety.” In such a world, liberal democracy risks being displaced by what he termed infantocracy. Not tyranny, but a soft regime of reassurance where leaders do not govern but soothe.

Simoniti’s concern was whether insurance can remain immune to these pressures. A field built on risk analysis and responsible decision-making struggles to survive in a marketplace that treats all seriousness as a flaw. In his view, the challenge is not whether to simplify but how to do so without sacrificing integrity.

A panel discussion on marketing explored the same question. Is simplification a necessary tool or a trap. Hayward suggested that the answer lies in history rather than conspiracy. Since the 1960s, he said, commercial forces have absorbed and neutralised the language of resistance. “Irony has become the default mode of expression,” he said. “Nothing can be taken seriously anymore because seriousness makes us vulnerable.”

Simoniti turned the conversation to Slovenia’s own cultural inheritance. He described a society still shaped by its socialist past, with a deep-seated expectation that the state will absorb all risks.

“We do not want freedom because freedom requires responsibility.”

Education, in his view, no longer equips citizens to think critically. “Without expression there is no understanding. And without understanding there is no responsibility.”

He urged the industry to foster a culture of risk literacy beginning with younger generations. “We must teach them not only what risks exist but how they can be managed.”

Yet he cautioned against embracing complexity for its own sake. Accessibility is not the enemy. “The question is how to offer financial security to those with no legal or economic background. It can be done. But not by pretending risk does not exist.”

The conference concluded with a consensus. Insurance cannot afford to surrender to the cultural winds that seek to simplify everything into comfort. Its role is not to flatter. It is to prepare. To do otherwise would be to drift into irrelevance while the future arrives unguarded.

The Western Balkans are grappling with significant demographic challenges characterised by an ageing population, low fertility rates, and substantial emigration. These trends threaten not only the socio-economic stability of the region but also its political landscape as it seeks potential integration into the European Union. Blaž Brodnjak, CEO of NLB, warns these challenges are directly impacting the quality of life, economic growth, and prosperity in the region. Addressing these issues will require comprehensive policy responses focused on improving local conditions to retain talent and encourage higher birth rates.

“All countries in the Adriatic region, except Slovenia, have experienced significant population outflows in recent years,” Brodnjak notes. “The Balkan basin is emptying. Germany’s relaxed quotas are attracting workers from the region. Slovenia, the only Central European country besides Austria to record population growth over the last 15 years, is now seeing a slowdown. The consequences are dire, he adds. “Younger, more ambitious, hardworking, and braver individuals are leaving, precisely the people who should be driving progress and creating value in the region.” 

While the countryside empties, capitals are growing, and people are moving to big cities like Belgrade, Priština, and Skopje, Brodnjak observes. He sees a silver lining in rising wages and expanding telework opportunities, particularly in IT and service industries. “We see positive multiplier effects as well-paid remote jobs boost local economies. For instance, in Serbia, people are earning salaries that are competitive, especially for local standards.” This shift, he believes, could gradually ease pressures and improve living conditions across the region. “Belgrade is a prime example. It’s developing rapidly as a regional capital, with major projects like the renovated Sava Centre attracting international interest.”

Declining birthrates compound demographic risk

No country in the region has implemented a comprehensive natality policy, except Hungary, where [Viktor] Orban has introduced incentives for families with three children. Slovenia has mechanisms to encourage higher birth rates, but they’re insufficient,” Brodnjak notes. Yet, he questions whether financial incentives alone can address the issue. “Housing affordability is a major barrier, but so are the rising expectations of young people. Many delay starting families because they feel the time isn’t right and prefer to enjoy life first,” he says, sharing an example of changing work attitudes: “A young pharmacist applied for a job in a private pharmacy, expecting to work three days a week and use the other two for ‘personal balance.’ This isn’t an isolated case. Young people often live with their parents, work minimally, and prioritise leisure. That’s simply unsustainable.”

China and India are outperforming Europe

Brodnjak emphasises the need for a stronger work ethic to maintain and improve living standards. “The Chinese work 60 hours a week, the Indians 80, while we would like to work 30. Rights are important, but without hard work, we cannot sustain our current standard of living, let alone achieve progress.” He is critical of trends like the ‘right to disconnect’, which he views as a step away from the flexibility and adaptability needed for growth. “The EU must recalibrate its focus. Flexibility, creativity, and entrepreneurship are crucial if we are to remain competitive.” Drawing a comparison to the U.S., he notes how businesses are fleeing California’s restrictive policies for states like Texas. “Europe must learn from this. If we don’t change, we will indeed become an open-air museum – a tourist attraction for visitors from other continents.”

Europe needs a reset

Brodnjak concludes with a clear warning: “Will we recognise the basic challenge of taking responsibility and working hard, or will we continue focusing solely on rights? That is the real question.” Without a shift in priorities, he fears Europe could lose its relevance on the global stage. “If we don’t act now, Europe will soon become a playground for the wealthy, admired for its past but irrelevant to the future.”