Southeastern Europe is affected by rapid demographic change far more than most other European regions. Within less than a century, its population has transitioned from being Europe’s fastest-growing to a rapidly "greying" and declining one. A 2007 World Bank publication referred to aging as the "third transition," following the transitions to democracy and a free market economy. Population projections present a bleak picture. For instance, Bulgaria, once a country of 9 million people, now has 6.7 million inhabitants and is predicted to shrink to fewer than 6 million by 2050. Albania, which had the highest fertility rates in Europe until the 1990s, has entered a period of strong population decline as well due to out-migration and a sharp fall in birth rates. These developments have sparked widespread public anxiety. When the results of Bulgaria's latest population census were published, the media wrote of a "demographic catastrophe." Similar statements could be found in other countries as well. In Croatia, for example, the public reacted with concern when the 2021 census showed a nearly ten percent drop compared to 2011. One headline read, "Croatia will soon be left entirely to old people." The latest Albanian census, which also showed a continuous population decline, sparked an outcry. These demographic trends contribute to a broader perception of an uncertain and bleak future. Governments are therefore taking action. Croatia introduced a Ministry of Demography; Serbia and North Macedonia implemented generous pro-natalist financial transfers for mothers and parents; and across the region, politicians, experts, religious leaders, and the media urge people to have more children. In our roundtable, we will analyze why demography is usually framed in such apocalyptic terms in Southeastern Europe and the policy implications of this framing. Why is pro-natalism so persistent when it has repeatedly failed to solve the problem? What is the impact of these discourses on gender relations? What cultural repertoires are used to make sense of aging and depopulation? How are prevailing notions of decline and loss challenged in literature and film? How are demographic trends and perceptions in the region linked to questions of inequality on a European scale? How can the cycle of demographic nationalism be broken to generate more acceptance of immigration? Where can we find emancipatory visions that strengthen resilience and overcome ontological anxieties while addressing the real-life challenges created by demographic change? Experts from different disciplines (literature, sociology, history, and political science) will address these and other questions. The panelists work together on the research project "Transforming Anxieties of Aging in Southeastern Europe," which is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.