More from the article ...

... "This is the largest annual decline recorded since 1961", the first year for which EU-wide aggregate data is available, the bloc's statistical agency, Eurostat, said of the drop in births. ...

As a consequence, the bloc's population is ageing fast, and some countries face labour shortages at a time where hard-right gains have pushed many governments to crack down on migration. ...

So... as the population eligible for working to support the economy is declining, the Countries are actively reducing the number of workers available to support their economy?

My first comment is along the lines of ... huh? Please explain the rationale of this to me.