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AhtisaariFourth Debate on European Identity with President Martti Ahtisaari: ‘Europe is stronger than you think – if we reinvent ourselves’ 20 June, 2.15 pm, Room 11, Palais de l'Europe
Many say that Europe is having an existential crisis. For sure, the challenges are severe - and they are not only economic, but also deeply political. In times of crisis, we must not only consider the weaknesses of Europe but also highlight those qualities that made it strong. We have to be able to reinvent Europe. What are the strong attributes of Europe? How to keep the European dream alive? Can European politicians act together to build a common future? What vision for the Europe of tomorrow? Mr. AHTISAARI, former President of Finland, will introduce the fourth Debate with a presentation which will be followed by a discussion with the audience.

External participants - Access to the Council of Europe
Registration and ID card required. Please contact Suzette Saint-Marc (suzette.saint-marc{a}coe.int) no later than on Tuesday, 18 June at 16:00 to confirm your participation.
What are the roots of European identity?
What does European identity mean today and how is it related to European integration?
How can the Council of Europe help foster positive European identities?
Organised by the Council of Europe and Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), the various Debates on European Identity to be organised until July 2014, provide a conceptual basis to explore the ways in which the Council of Europe and ENA can contribute to building constructive European identities and to promoting integration through their activities. By inviting eminent personalities from politics, civil society and academia, the Debates on European Identity examine current thinking and dynamics behind the concept of European identity and explore how such ideas can help stimulate European integration.

Victor EROFEEV, a Russian writer, author of Encyclopedia of the Russian soul, introduced the third debate with a presentation on "Russian and European souls - can they walk together?' at the Council of Europe on 28 May. (Audio recording)

 The second debate had been introduced on 9 April by Yuri ANDRUKHOVYCH, a Ukrainian poet and essayist, co-author of ‘My Europe"  on the topic "Europe: Culture at the edge of the world or who are our losers?'  (Text of speech - Video recording - news on "Revue Études Européennes" website.)
 
The inaugural debate, on 12 March, had been introduced by Karsten ALNAES, a Norwegian historian, author of ‘The History of Europe’ inaugurated  with a presentation on ‘Roots of European identity – challenges and threats’ (see Video of the conference, Text of speech, Post-debate interview).


The next debate is foreseen in the first half of July.

The Moscow School of Political Studies celebrates its 20th anniversary

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Moscow School of Political Studies is organising the seminar "Moscow School: 20 years", which will take place on 25-27 April 2013 in Golitsyno near Moscow. 20 years ago, on 4 April 1993, the Moscow School of Political Studies held its first seminar on "Politics, economics and national relationships". For the past two decades, the School has contributed to the objective of transforming Russia into a truly open and democratic civil society which functions effectively.

The School’s seminars, which focus on the most important and complex problems of modern times, offer young leaders a unique platform for open debates and free-thinking. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Moscow School of Political Studies invites its Alumni from all over Russia to the seminar "Moscow School: 20 years", which will take place on 25-27 April 2013 in Golitsyno near Moscow. The connection between power and society, power and personality as well as the question of morality in politics will be the key topics of the event. The School’s Alumni will debate with prominent national and international personalities.

Catherine Lalumière, President of the European Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe, will deliver a speech on "Power, Personality and Political Institutions". For more information and the programme, please visit the website of the Moscow School.

Watch interview  by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland

 

maroc-tunisieMoroccan School - Launching conference

 The inauguration of the School of Political Studies of Morocco took place on 14 March 2013 in Rabat. Mr Pietro MARCENARO, Chairperson of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr Eneko LANDABURU, European Union Ambassador to Morocco, as well as Mr Zoltán TAUBNER, Director of External Relations of the Council of Europe took part in the ceremony. The inauguration ceremony was followed by a conference on the theme “Challenges and limits of deliberative democracy”. The School of Political Studies of Morocco, the second such School in a non-member State of the Council of Europe, was created with the financial support of the EU/CoE Joint Programme “Strengthening democratic reform in the southern Neighbourhood” and the Norwegian Government.

Programme  (French only).

The inauguration of the Tunisian School of Politics had taken place on 8 January 2013 in Tunis, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who delivered a speech on this occasion. The inauguration was preceded by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding about the Council of Europe’s presence in Tunisia by the Council of Europe and the Tunisian authorities.

Both Schools are being set up in the framework of the Council of Europe new neighbourhood policy. Independent NGOs like the sixteen existing Schools in Central and Eastern Europe, the new Schools’ objective will be to train new generations of political, economic, social and cultural leaders. Through annual series of seminars related to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the new Schools will make a concrete contribution to the ongoing transitional processes in their countries.

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Open-ended Debate Series

The third conference of the series was introduced on 23 May by Professor Peter Singer, an Australian moral philosopher, Professor at Princeton University, on 'The rights of animals and human obligations'.
(Video recording -  Audio recording)

Breton_confThe second conference of the series had been introduced on 14 February by Professor Philippe Breton, a laureate of the Institut de France, University Professor at the University Centre of Media Studies, University of Strasbourg. Professor Breton addressed the theme ‘The City by the Yardstick of great Anthropological Changes’. He started his presentation from a recognition that the invention of the city is perhaps at the exact intersection of three major anthropological changes in the history of humankind. The first concerns the shift from the tool to the machine, the second the transition from traditional societies to individualistic societies. And finally, the third change concerns the establishment of a process of de-legitimisation of violence and civilising of behaviour. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion with the audience.

The inaugural conference had been introduced in November 2012 by Professor Erich Weede on 'Human Rights, Economic Freedom and State Solvency'.(Audio recording)
Think tanks meeting

On Tuesday 4 December 2012, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland hosted a meeting of directors and representatives from 27 major European think tanks in Strasbourg. The meeting was part of the Council’s efforts to enhance its impact by strengthening the collaboration with all relevant actors having a role in broad conceptual and political debates. Think tanks have become important actors in many policy fields and can provide access to new ideas and innovative approaches.
(Read more)
 
Policy Planning in brief
The Directorate of Policy Planning (DPP) was set up in 2010 in order to provide the Secretary General, the Committee of Ministers and Major Administrative Entities (MAEs) of the Council of Europe with conceptual and strategic analyses about relevant political and societal developments in Europe and beyond. Its work is based on research and on topical exchanges with internal and external networks. The objective is to enhance the Organisation’s ability to anticipate major trends and challenges facing member states and to offer coherent short- and long-term responses within its statutory mandate.

DPP's mandate 
Policy planning activities
Debate series
European Identity Debates

Does European identity already exist? How could European identity be defined and characterised? How could a common European identity contribute to strengthening the practices and processes of European integration within a wider Europe?

These and many more questions will be addressed in the new series of Debates on European Identities initiated by the Council of Europe jointly with the French Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA). Building on the format of the previous Democracy debates, and enlarging the thematic scope, this series, which will associate eminent personalities from politics, civil society and academia, aims to provide an intellectual framework to stimulate reflection amongst diplomats, Council of Europe staff and experts.

It intends to act as a catalyst of ideas and concepts for the development of a European future.  

Concept paper
Democracy Debate Series

This series of debates was initiated by the Secretary General in order to stimulate reflection and discussion on the developments and challenges affecting European societies, thereby fostering innovative thinking and action within the Organisation and helping to forge the role of the Council of Europe as a laboratory for new concepts and ideas on democracy. From April 2011 to June 2012, the Democracy Debate series allowed member and observer state Delegations and Council of Europe staff to attend a number of debates introduced by renowned speakers on issues related to the challenges to democracy in Europe and beyond.
Democracy Debates web site
Democracy Debates Collection: 'Democracy on the Precipice'
Meetings of Directors of Policy Planning

In order to analyse member States' European and trans-European policies, the Directorate of Policy Planning organises meetings bringing together Directors of policy planning from Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Council of Europe member states. The first such meeting took place in February 2011 on the general policies in members States followed by a second meeting in September on "Europe and its Arab neighbours: common or compatible values?". The third meeting on 'Central Asian Neighbourhood: Europe's Outpost or Trans-Asian Bridge?' took place in Bucharest in March 2012. The next meeting is foreseen in early 2013.

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In-house Policy planning meetings
ALER-T initiative
The ALER-T (Awareness Laboratory for early response - Team) in house meetings bring together representatives of all Major Administrative entities (MAES), seeking to enhance the Council of Europe's capacity to provide coherent short-and long-term responses within its statutory mandate to challenges facing member states and the Organisation. Since February 2011 more than twenty five meetings have taken place on themes as varied as intercultural dialogue, migration, political extremism, freedom of expression, youth participation, rule of law, financial crisis and social cohesion, corruption and human rights, concentration of power, anti-piracy law, the use and abuse of history in times of crisis, gender balance, elderly people and ageism.

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Country-based informal seminars

These meetings offer an opportunity to Council of Europe staff members who work on activities relating to a specific country to discuss the actual and potential role of the Council of Europe in helping to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in that country.

At each meeting, the political context is introduced by a recognized expert specialising in a country or region, followed by a discussion raising issues relevant to the Council of Europe’s work with the country or region in question.

Since October 2011, a number of closed informal brainstorming meetings have taken place, including on Turkey (October 2011), Ukraine (February 2012), Bosnia and Herzegovina (March 2012) and Azerbaijan (June 2012).

Co-operation with think-tanks

The Directorate of Policy Planning is building contacts with major European think tanks and reviews academic work on relevant topics, such as climate change, demographic changes, robotics and ethics, in order to provide Senior Management with strategic expertise and background information.

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The Schools of Political Studies
General presentation

The Schools of Political Studies are aimed at training future generations of political, economic, social and cultural leaders in countries in transition. With the participation of national and international experts, they organise annual series of seminars and conferences on topics such as European integration, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and globalisation.

The Schools web site
Highlights

School Directors' meeting

The next meeting of the Directors of the Schools of Political Studies will take place in Strasbourg on 14 June.

Seminars in April - May

A number of seminars and other events are being organised by the Schools.

See list for April and May.

 
Group of Eminent Persons on "Living together in the XXI Century"
At the initiative of Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, a Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) was convened in 2011 to prepare a report in the context of the project ''Living together in 21st century Europe'', on the challenges arising from the resurgence of intolerance and discrimination in Europe. The Directorate of Policy Planning implements follow-up action to the report. Against this background, a High Level Meeting on 'Diversity in Europe: an asset for the future' took place in Tirana in November 2012, at the initiative of the Albanian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Other activities

In 2011, the Council of Europe commissioned the study ‘The Council of Europe and the OSCE: Enhancing Co-operation and Complementarity through Greater Coherence’. This study was finalised in March 2012 and includes a number of practical proposals on how the two organisations could achieve greater synergies and ensure better coherence and complementarity. It was brought to the attention of all Delegations to the Council of Europe and through the OSCE Secretary General and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to the Delegations at the OSCE.

Read the report on relations between the CoE and the OSCE

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