Alpbach – ESI at the European Forum Alpbach

2 September 2022
Adnan Cerimagic presenting his working group’s conclusions. Photo: ESI​​​​​​​
Adnan Cerimagic presenting his working group’s conclusions. Photo: ESI

From 30 August to 2 September 2022 ESI’s Kristof Bender, Adnan Cerimagic and John Dalhuisen were invited to the European Forum Alpbach in Austria. Kristof and Adnan took part in an off-the record 3-day retreat titled “The EU Must Think Big Again – Boosting European Security and Developing Strategies for the Balkans”, organised jointly by Erste Foundation and European Forum Alpbach. Kristof presented ESI’s latest proposals how to revive the EU accession process. Adnan moderated one of the working groups during the retreat. Among the 35 participants were Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Jovana Marovic, EUSR Miroslav Lajcak and managing director for Europe and Central Asia at the EEAS Angelina Eichhorst.

John participated in a retreat about “European Civic Space”, organised by the Hertie School of Governance and Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE). The retreat invited participants from academia, think tanks and leading human rights NGOs in the EU to develop common strategies to strengthen the protection of civic space in the face of increasing pressure and restrictions in several EU countries. The retreat resulted in proposals to strengthen the EU’s normative framework for civil society organisations, how to increase access to EU policy makers and improve the enforcement of relevant EU law through existing mechanisms.

The Forum presented a chance for numerous meetings with policymakers and think tankers.