"In Spain, the second quarter of 2008 has recorded a 12% increase in family break-ups, compared with the first quarter the same year": the phenomenon has been reported by Eduardo Hertfelder, president of the Family Policy Institute (Ipf), an independent organisation for the defence of the family that is a member of the Spanish Forum for the Family. Actually, in the second quarter of 2008, 37,102 marriages have broken up, with 34,480 divorces, 2,566 separations and 56 annulments. According to Hertfelder, "the public authorities cannot keep being indifferent to the problem of family stability". For Ipf, the time has come for "the public authorities to take measures" through "a proactive policy in support of the family" that must be based on three major areas: "the parents’ right to marital stability, the parents’ right to have as many children as they like, the parents’ right to find a work-life balance". In particular, Ipf asks for the establishment or support of the Family Advisory Centres and the nation-wide development of a family prevention and mediation law. "These according to Ipf are essential and urgent measures to begin to help the parents solve situations of conflict and family crises".
