Furth bei Göttweig – ESI speaks on migration at the Europa Forum Wachau

21 May 2026
Gerald on Wachau Panel. Photo: Europa Forum Wachau
Gerald on Wachau Panel. Photo: Europa Forum Wachau

ESI’s Gerald Knaus spoke on a panel at the Europa Forum Wachau in Furth bei Göttweig, Austria. The Europa-Forum Wachau brings leaders from business, science, politics together in picturesque Lower Austria. To mark its 30th anniversary, the Forum focused on how to strengthen European sovereignty in an increasingly turbulent geo-political environment.

Gerald’s panel was titled “Europe’s Turning Point: Managing Migration, Ensuring Security”. The other members of the panel were: Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for home affairs and migration; Gerhard Karner, Austrian federal minister of the interior; Catalin Predoiu, deputy prime minister and minister of the interior of Romania; and Vit Rakusan, former deputy prime minister and minister of the interior of the Czech Republic. The panel was moderated by Cornelia Ertl.

On the panel, Gerald noted that in constructing a working migration management system, we do not have to choose between ethics and effectivity. He noted that to construct a legal, moral, and effective migration management system, we can learn from what has and has not worked in the past. On this point, Gerald noted the important role of third-country partnerships in any realistic migration management solution in Europe, pointing to the success of the 2016 EU partnership with Turkey in not only drastically cutting the number of migrants arriving irregularly, but also in saving lives by leading to far fewer drowning in the Aegean Sea.