The Future of Europe – The Europe of the Future? – international conference

In co-operation with the European Greens and DiEM25 we are holding an international conference titled ‘The Future of Europe – The Europe of Future?’ in Budapest on 19 September 2016. Six roundtable discussions with guests from all over Europe, more than 20 invited speakers, among them leading green and progressive politicians of Europe, including Yanis Varoufakis, former Green minister of finance, founder of DiEM25 as well as Philippe Lamberts, co-chair of the European Greens.

Politics is in disarray throughout Europe. The current institutions of the EU have proven ineffectual in stopping the social and economic deterioration engulfing the continent. The parties of social democracy are in a decline, greens and liberals are stagnating if not worse. The rising radical right ceased to be an Eastern-European curiosity. The Syriza government with its social democratic crisis management programme in Greece has been forced to back down by Brussels showing an example for like-minded political experiments. At the same time, the EU appears to be weaponless against illiberal governments. What is the progressive answer for Europe’s problems? Is Europe bound to repeat the 1930s? How would a sustainable Europe look like? What have green parties and the new left to offer? What is the lesson for Hungary? Is there a future for green or new left politics in Hungary?

CONFERENCE RESULTS

Conference photos 

PROGRAMME

The Future of Europe – The Europe of the Future?

A Central and Eastern European Perspective

Greens meet DiEM25

Location: A38 Ship, Petőfi Bridge, Budapest

Date: 19 September 2016

Host of the event: Krisztina Bombera

Registration is closed due to full house. The event will be broadcast all day through Lifestream challel. 

ONLINE STREAMING HERE

/English-Hungarian interpretation between 9.00-18.00/

10.00 -10:30 Registration, coffee 

10:30 – 11:00 Opening

Benedek Jávor, Greens/EFA MEP, Dialogue for Hungary Party, Hungary

Zoltán Pogátsa, University of Western Hungary, DiEM25 initiator, Hungary

Gábor Scheiring, chairman of Progressive Hungary Foundation, Hungary

11.00 – 11.45 Opening panel – Europe as a global actor

Key issues of the panel: Europe’s role on the global scene, refugee crisis, international development, unfair trade regimes, TTIP.

Lorenzo Marsili, co-initiator DiEM25, director of European Alternatives, Italy

Alena Krempaska, Human Rights Institute, Slovakia

Edouard Gaudot, Political Advisor of Greens/EFA in the European Parliament and Author of L’Europe c’est Nous

Dr. Bourgla Ossamah, Syrian GP, local councillor, Hungary Magyarország

11.45- 12. 45 Session II. – New Member States’ perspective

Key issues of the panel: failure of integration, inefficient cohesion policy, antidemocratic trends as a consequence

Marta Tycner, Razem Party, Poland

Gábor Scheiring, chairman of Progressive Hungary Foundation, Hungary

Jakub Patocka, editor, Denik Referendum, Czechia

Irmi Salzer, Greens Burgenland, Austria

12:45-14:00 LUNCH

14:00- 14:45 Speeches: The way out of the crisis?

Philippe Lamberts, co-chair of Greens/EFA, Belgium

Yanis Varoufakis, founder of DiEM25, former minister of finance, Greece

14.45 – 15.30 Session III. – Social Europe

Key issues of the panel: monetary vs. social union, basic income, financial transfers, right to housing

Zoltán Pogátsa, University of Western Hungary, DiEM25 initiator, Hungary

Philippe Lamberts, co-chair of Greens/EFA, Belgium

Florentin Iancu, Trade Unionist, Romania

15:30-16.15 Session IV: Sustainable Europe

Key issues of the panel: how to make Europe sustainable against corporate interest and MS’s resistance, COP21.

Florent Marcellesi, spokesperson of EQUO in the European Parliament, Spain

Benedek Jávor, Greens/EFA MEP, Dialogue for Hungary Party, Hungary

Vedran Horvat, Institute for Political Ecology, Croatia

Stephanie Roth, „Save Rosia Montana!” movement, Romania

16:15 -16:35 COFFEE

16:35 – 17:45 Session V: Where are we and were to go? Reasons and solutions

Philippe Lamberts, co-chair of Greens/EFA, Belgium

Yanis Varoufakis, founder of DiEM25, former minister of finance, Greece

GM Tamás, philosopher, Hungary

Adam Ostolski, spokesperson of the Polish Greeen Party, Poland

17:45 -18:00 Closing

Benedek Jávor, Greens/EFA MEP, Dialogue for Hungary, Hungary

Zoltán Pogátsa, University of Western Hungary, DiEM25 initiator, Hungary

 18:00 – 19:30 BONUS track: The future of Hungary and the Progressives- roundtable talk of Progressive Hungary Foundation

Réka Kinga Papp, journalist, essayist

Tímea Szabó, co-chair of Dialogue for Hungary Party, MP

Márton Gulyás, activist

Zoltán Ceglédi, political analyst

Péter Konok, historian

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