Vienna – ESI at Time to Decide Summit 2023

ESI’s Gerald Knaus was invited to participate at the ERSTE Foundation’s Time To Decide 2023 Summit. 

Gerald participated in the panel “The Unbearable Lightness of Power: Europe, Geo-Politics and the War in Ukraine”. In his intervention, he focused on the history of conflicts in Europe since the 1990s. He pointed out the contrast between the peace and stability enjoyed by Western Europe and the often violent unrest in other regions. 

Gerald also spoke about the pressing need to integrate Eastern Europe and the Caucasus into the European community of nations more fully. He argued that regions such as the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine should be granted immediate access to the EU’s single market, including its four freedoms. The eastern regions have been largely overlooked. To foster a more just and peaceful Europe, Gerald emphasised the importance of extending these benefits to all regions of the continent and this way avert further aggressive intervention by Russia.

Other speakers were Anthony Barnett (openDemocracy), Milica Delevic (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Taras Fedirko (University of Glasgow), Ivan Krastev (IWM), Kim Lane Scheppele (Princeton University) and Mary Burce Warlick (International Energy Agency).

Photo: presseportal.de

In addition, Gerald participated in a “Bee Day” side event on the occasion of World Bee Day, declared by the United Nations in 2018, for which FIRST Foundation invited its stakeholders to Vienna. Gerald debated on “The Rule of Law and the next generation: Who will decide about the future of our democracies?” with Ivana Dragičević (N1 Journalist).

Ivana Dragičević and Gerald Knaus. Photo: ERSTE Stiftung

• ESI proposal: Offer the four freedoms to the Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova
• ESI proposal:  End the turtle race