FEML


ECONOMIC FORUM
OF YOUNG LEADERS



3th ECONOMIC FORUM OF YOUNG LEADERS

9th - 12th of September 2008 NOWY SĄCZ
AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, MAKE FRIENDS AND TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

DAY 3: Thursday

11th September 2008, Nowy Sącz



Plenary session

18th Economic Forum in Krynica

Participants are taking part in plenary sessions of Economic Forum in Krynica, whrere the question „ The Waiting for a Big Crisis .... From a Potential Failure to a Sure Successs” appears. After noon, together with politicians and scientist, they will be looking for an answear on the questions wheather EU is ready to face chllenges of the XXI st century , those concerning the future of Russia and European Union. Participantion in this panels announced i.a. : Yurii Afanasiev, Vytautas Landsbergis, Sir David Alton, Mart Laar.

Petro Poroshenko – Chairman of the Nationl Bank of Ukraine says about potential association agreement propsed by European Union and about Euro 2012.

Petro Poroshenko


The Waiting for a Big Crisis... From a Potential Failure to a Sure Success

Plenary session of the 18th Economic Forum in Krynica

The EU speaks in one voice

Udział w panelach dyskusyjnych
XVIII Forum Ekonomicznego w Krynicy

Europe has to first exist in reality. The topic today was Europe in XXI century, We are there and Europe has already a first coflict, and Europe has shown already that can be useful in such a conflict as between Russia and Georgia. For the first time it spoke with one voice. - Roland Dumas former French Minister of Foreign Affairs

Wice – Prime Minister of Poland Waldemar Pawlak during the meeting with young leaders speaks i.e. about coopearation with Belarus.
Waldemar Pawlak



Is European Union ready to face the challenges of XXI century?

Discussion panel

The guests of the afternoon panel discussion stated that the European Union is “not ready to face the challenge of the XXI century”.

  • Moderator: Tomasz Bratek, Director of National Agency of “Youth in Action” Programme
  • Péter Balázs - Director of Center for EU Enlargement Studies, Central European University, former European Commissioner
  • Vitalino Canas - Chairman of the European Affairs Commission , Parliament of Portugal
  • Roland Dumas - Former French Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Marianne Mikko – Member of European Parliament, Estoniaa
  • O. Ludwik Wiśniewski - Dominican, chaplain of Solidarity, founder of Złota 9 Academy
  • Yaşar Yakış - Parliament of Turkey, a former Foreign Minister, a former ambassador to the NATO, Egypt, and Saudi-Arabia

According to Roland Dumas, Former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, the future of Europe is a big federation with a strong government, currency and economy. Only then will Europe be able to deal with the challenges of the XXI century, because it will speak in the voice of 490 mln citizens. In such strong Europe, countries preparing to enter the European Union, like e.g. Turkey, will also find their place.

The Director of the Center for EU Enlargement Studies, Professor Péter Balázs, paid attention the constitutional crisis within Europe and the problems involving the ageing of the Old Continent.

The former Foreign Minister of Turkey Yaşar Yakış pointed out the necessity for the EU to continue its evolution. He also emphasized that Europe (not as the European Union but as a continent) has an important culture of compromise and dialogue – a good indicator for the future.

The Chairman of the European Affairs Commission from Portugal, Vitalino Canas, acknowledged the greatest danger for the XXI European Union in the fact that the citizens do not recognize the common problems, and that debates and discussions are held only on a local level. He also stated that the most considerable challenge for the EU politicians is to convince their citizens to treat problems as a global, European matter. Canas emphasized - “Europe as a whole must speak in one voice about the situation in Georgia or in Kosovo.”

After looking at the audience gathered at the panel discussion, the Member of European Parliament from Estonia, Marianne Mikko, draw attention to the fact that 60% of the Forum’s participants were women. She pointed out that these proportions of female and male decision makers will be similar when it comes to politics.


A Polish Dominican and chaplain of “Solidarity”, Fr. Ludwik Wiśniewski, called upon the organizers of the Forum to create a venue in 5 years, in which also young leaders from around the world could take part. Fr. Wiśniewski sees the future in the dialogue of all nations and appeals to get rid of national egoism.


The Member of EP from Estonia, Marianne Mikko

Katarzyna Grydniewska / Polish Radio Lublin



Russia and European Union at the beginning of XXI century: competition or cooperation?

Discussion panel

  • Moderator: Vitaliy Lipich - member of the board of organisation “Nasha Sprava” in Luck, Ukraine, member of the board of the “Youth4Media” association
  • Yurii Afanasiev - Russian pro-democracy politician, Founder of the Russian State Human Science University
  • Elmar Brok - Member of European Parliament, Foreign Policy spokesman of the EPP and the CDU
  • Vytautas Landsbergis, Member of European Parliament, former president of Lithuania
  • Denis MacShane – Member of UK Parliament, UK delegate to Council of Europe and NATO Parliamentary Assemblies
  • Volodymyr Polokhalo - Chairman of Committee on Science and Education, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
  • Maciej Płażyński – former Marshall of Polish Parliament, chairman of “Wspólnota Polska” association
  • Kakha Shengelia – President of the Caucasus University

During the discussion panel “Russia and European Union at the beginning of XXI century: competition or cooperation?", at one table sat Yurii Afanasiev, a Russian pro-democracy politician, and the President of the Caucasus University, Professor Kakha Shengelia from Georgia.



Right after the heated debate, a young representative from Georgia, Ekaterina Kukhaleishvili, shares her impressions.


The invited representatives from the Russian Parliament did not come to the Forum.

Katarzyna Grydniewska / Polish Radio Lublin


Secretary of the Committee for European Integration in Poland
Mikołaj Dowgielewicz

Special guest Forum


Minister of National Education, Government of Poland
Katarzyna Hall

Guest of honour Forum

Moderator: Mirosław Marczewski
Director General of Foundation for the Development of the Education System
The meeting with the Polish Minister of National Education, Katarzyna Hall, was dominated by questions asked by young leaders coming from France, Belgium, Ukraine, Romania and Lithuania about the Polish Edication System, especially concerning the improvement of teaching foreign languages, the level of education in public and private schools and the influence of Religious Education in Poland. Minister Hall assured in Nowy Sącz that Polish citizens who emigrated to other European countries would be provided with appropriate social welfare and that education for foreigners living in Poland was going to be more accesible.


Foundations of Democracy

Discussion panel

  • Moderator: Przemysław Patryk Iwanek - Chairman of the Conference
  • Sir David Alton – Lord, House of Lords, United Kingdom
  • Czesław Bielecki - Chairman of the Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee (1997-2001)
  • Fr. Marcel Guarnizo - Chairman of the Educational Initiative for Central and Eastern Europe, Washington USA
  • John O’Sullivan – President of the Radio Free Europe
  • Mart Laar - former Prime Minister of Estonia
  • Adreas Widemer - The co-director of the SEVEN Fund, USA






Intercultural evening in Cieniawa





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