The second Europe for the Many conference aims to set out a vision and strategy for the democratic transformation of Europe to become both ecologically responsible and socially just, and hence truly hospitable. Taking place exactly 30 years on from November 8 1989, the fall of the Berlin wall, and bringing together activists, politicians and intellectuals from across the continent, the conference will track some of the fault lines in Europe’s new political geography and ask how the borders and breaks can be overcome to create a new movement for change.
Partners: London School of Economics (Conflict and civil society unit), Another Europe is Possible, European Alternatives, Europe’s Futures Program IWM Vienna, ERSTE Stiftung, Green European Journal, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, University of Palermo, City of Palermo.
Draft Agenda
9.00 : Welcome from Fabrizio Micari, rector of UNIPA
9.15 – 9.30
Introduction to the day
Ivan Vejvoda (IWM), Daphne Buellesbach (European Alternatives)
09.30 – 12.00 End of the month or end of the world? How to fight social injustice and save the planet at the same time?
“The leaders are talking about the end of the world, whilst we are worried about getting to the end of the month!”. This was one of the strongest slogans of the Gilet Jaunes protests. Recent election results seem to suggest that many people see an alternative here: the ‘green wave’ was largely confined to metropolitan areas of northern European countries, whilst other parts of the continent seem to have other priorities. Are environmental concerns and social concerns conflicting priorities? Or can proposals such as the Green New Deal productively combine them?
With Mary Kaldor (LSE), Giuseppe Provenzano (Minister for the South TBC), Shalini Randeria (IWM), Suzana Carp (Sandbag), Philippe Pochet (ETUI, Brussels)
Moderated by Niccolò Milanese (European Alternatives)
12.30 – 13.30pm Beyond the city walls: municipalism as method of global change
In recent years cities have often been held up as places of rebellion and resistance to authoritarianism and illiberalism. But can cities be more than islands of liberty, and become the networked centres of more general change?
With Leoluca Orlando (Mayor of Palermo), Tunc Soyer (Mayor of Izmir)
Moderated by Lorenzo Marsili (European Alternatives)
Lunch
14.30 – 16.00 How can Europe act outside its borders to promote a just green transition?
The European Union is reinforcing its capacity to act outside of the borders of the EU, whether through the new ‘geopolitical’ Commission, defence and security coordination, or new policies in its neighbourhood. The EU often likes to think of itself a leading actor in fighting climate change, but how can it better match its global policies to this ambition?
With Nicole Koenig (Jacques Delors Institute, Berlin and Europe’s Futures Fellow), Isabelle Ioannides (Vrije University Brussels and Europe’s Futures Fellow), Alvaro Vasconcelos (University Coimbra, Portugal), Rosa Balfour (German Marshall Fund and Europe’s Futures Fellow), Alida Vracic (Think Tank Populari, Sarajevo and Europe’s Futures Fellow)
Moderated by: Mary Kaldor (LSE)
16.00 – 17.30 Democratising Europe: from intergovernmental impasse to a new transnational balance of forces
The European institutions seem to be stuck in an impasse, unequal to the policy challenges confronting them, whether in the reform of the Eurozone, migration management or foreign policy. How is European reform possible? What strategies do we have to create a new balance of forces?
With Shahin Vallée (German Council of Foreign Relations), Kalypso Nicolaidis (University of Oxford), Leszek Jazdzewski (Liberté journal, Lodz, and Europe’s Futures Fellow), Grigorij Meseznikov (Institute for Public Affairs, Bratislava and Europe’s Futures Fellow), Peter Kreko (Political Capital, Budapest and Europe’s Futures Fellow)
Moderated by Ivan Vejvoda (IWM)
17.30 – 18.00 Concluding remarks and launch of Substantive Democracy Report
Luke Cooper (LSE and Another Europe is Possible) , Roch Dunin-Wasowicz (LSE)
18.00 – 19.00 Literary Aperitif: Visions of Europe
Presentation of the books A Vision for Europe (ed. David Adler), Exodus, Reconing, Sacrifice: Three meanings of Brexit (Kalypso Nicoloaidis), The Case for a Green New Deal (Ann Pettifor).
PARTNERS
