Visio Institute | The Future of Europe at Stake: EU Elections Ahead – What is next for the EU?

The Future of Europe at Stake: EU Elections Ahead – What is next for the EU?

Posted by Visio institut in Dogodki, Free Market Road Show, Gospodarstvo, Politični sistem, Zunanja politika 22 Apr 2014

2014 FMRS Ljubljana The 2014 Free Market Road Show: “The Future of Europe at Stake: EU Elections Ahead – What is next for the EU?” was held at Hotel Slon in Ljubljana on April 22, 2014.

We proudly hosted the Slovenian stop of the 7th Free Market Road Show®. The event was organized in cooperation with over 40 leading think tanks and universities across Europe and the Caucasus and in association with international partners such as the Austrian Economics Center, Liberty Fund, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, FreedomWorks, European Students for Liberty, and the F.A. v. Hayek Institut.

The 2014 Free Market Road Show® brought together leading businessmen, scholars, opinion makers, public policy experts, elected officials, diplomats, students, and other interested parties from across Europe and the world to discuss what kind of Europe people want, examine the ‘conundrum’ in which the European Union finds itself, and explore ways to turn the current crisis into an opportunity.

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath, the very purpose of the European Union has been in question. In May 2014, the EU will undergo elections. Their results just might set a new course for the EU. What path will the EU take? As hopes and fears arise with the EU elections, some believe structural reforms, liberalization, and real austerity should be the underpinning of EU policies in the future. It would follow that countries should live within their means and that ‘tough love’ in sufficient doses is the best medicine to get there. Others are concerned that Europe is losing its social dimension, with a resulting new wave of both far right populists and far left demagogues that may pose a threat to Europe itself.

“’Emergencies’ have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded” – F. A. von Hayek

14:00 – 14:15 WELCOME

Mag. Tanja Porčnik, Visio institute, Slovenia

HE Dr. Clemens Koja, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Slovenia

14:15 – 15:30 PANEL 1: CENTRALIZATION VS. DEREGULATION: IS MORE OR LESS BRUSSELS THE KEY TO PROSPERITY?

Should the EU central institutions be granted further regulatory authority ostensibly to expand and flatten regulation? Many argue that greater political integration – including a single EU authority in Brussels – is a step forward for the EU. Others argue for the principle of subsidiarity, ensuring that decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen affected by the regulation.

Chair: Dr. Jure Stojan, Adjunct Fellow, Visio Institute, Slovenia

Key note: Dr. Draško Veselinovič, CEO and Professor, Gea College, Slovenia

Podium: Dr. Pierre Garello, Professor, University Paul Cezanne Aix-Marseille, France

Andraž Grahek, Managing Partner, Capital Genetics, Slovenia

Gordon Kerr, Consultant, Cobden Partners, UK

16:00 – 17:15 PANEL 2: EXODUS VS. INCENTIVES: HOW CAN THE EU KEEP THE MOST TALENTED AND ENTERPRISING?

Europe is witnessing an exodus of its brightest and most gifted. Is brain drain a consequence of an interconnected world or has Europe failed to create an environment attractive to the best among us? Can education in entrepreneurship reverse the trend? Would enhanced protection of property rights reinforce innovation and the creation of new enterprises? Could enhancing a business-friendly environment lead to greater opportunity, especially among the youth?

Chair: Mag. Karl-Peter Schwarz, Journalist, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany

Key note: HSH Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, Founder, Geopolitical Information Service AG

Podium: Dr. Žiga Turk, Former Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Slovenia

Mag. Tanja Porčnik, Visio Institute, Slovenia

17:45 – 19:00 PANEL 3: EXTREMISM VS. RATIONALITY: WHAT DIRECTION WILL THE EU TAKE?

With political extremism on the rise all over Europe, are demagogues and agitators going to be the big winners in the upcoming EU elections? Has multiculturalism failed? How can the EU return to its roots of a single market without appealing to xenophobia? What kind of immigration policy should the EU strive for?

Chair: Matej Avsenak Ogorevc, Executive Board Member, European Students For Liberty, Slovenia

Key note: Dr. Erich Weede, Professor, University of Bonn, Germany

Podium: Dr. Damir Črnčec, Professor, Graduate School of Government and European Studies, Slovenia

Matevž Kadak, President, Student Association of Defense Studies, Slovenia

Mag. Anže Logar, Member of European Parliament, Slovenia