Berlin – 25 Years of ESI

1 July 2024
ESI Team
Photo: ESI

ESI marked its 25th anniversary, celebrating a quarter-century of impactful work since its founding in 1999. To commemorate this milestone, we gathered our entire staff from across Europe for two days of intensive brainstorming, meetings, and reflective activities. These sessions allowed us to evaluate our history, assess our impact, and remind us of the crucial role ESI has played in areas such as migration, the rule of law, EU enlargement, the Western Balkans, visa liberalisation, and the protection of democratic values and institutions.

The anniversary events began on Monday, 1 July, with a discussion hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) on ESI’s early work in the Balkans in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Following this, Israeli philosopher and researcher Omri Boehm delivered a presentation. He drew parallels between the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Balkan wars of the 1990s, suggesting that ESI’s proposals on refugee return in Bosnia could serve as a model for future peace and power-sharing efforts in Israel and Palestine.

In the afternoon, the ESI team visited the Bundestag, meeting with lawmakers from both the governing SPD and the opposition CDU. We first meet with CDU politician Knut Abraham, and then with SPD politician Frank Schwabe, who has pushed forward ESI’s proposals to counter Azerbaijan’s corruption operations in the Council of Europe.

Knut
With Knut Abraham (left). Photo: ESI

Both MPs described how ESI’s research provides them with precise insights and recommendations for their own policy agenda. We also discussed the most pressing challenges facing Germany and liberal democracy, with particularly in-depth discussions on the topics of migration and trans-Atlantic relations.

ESI Team
With Frank Schwabe (centre). Photo: ESI

Afterwards, we did a tour of the Bundestag, gaining insights into the German legislative process and the roles of parliamentary assistants.

On the second day, we continued with a staff brainstorming session focused on persuasive writing and the challenge of convincing sceptics. We addressed topics such as migration in Europe and the US, the potential implications of a future Trump presidency, and strategies to advance resettlement in Europe and third-country agreements.

ESI Team
Kyle Zurcher, Felipe Palma, Daniel Knowles, Adan Samijic and Katharina Knaus. Photo: ESI

In the afternoon, ESI visited The Bunker, a museum documenting the collapse of democracy in the Weimar Republic and the atrocities of the Nazi regime. This visit reinforced the significance of ESI’s mission to uphold European Stability, the rule of law and human rights.

The day concluded with a visit to the Chancellery, where we met with Wolfgang Schmidt, Federal Minister for Special Affairs. Our discussion centred on Europe, Germany, and migration, with Mr Schmidt acknowledging the importance of ESI’s work.

ESI Team
Gerald Knaus and Wolfgang Schmidt (centre) Photo: ESI

These two days provided a valuable opportunity to review our work over the past 25 years while planning future research and advocacy. The past quarter-century in Europe has seen significant progress, and ESI is prepared to meet the challenges of the next 25 years with vigilance, perseverance, and creativity.