LH Mikl-Leitner: The next Wachau European Forum is intended to initiate a new start for Europe
The next EFW will take place shortly after the European elections, from 20 to 22 June 2024, under the title "Rebooting Europe". Among other things, a "Global Panel" will be organised for the first time to shed light on Europe's role in relations with the United States and China. Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May and former German Economics, Environment and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel have confirmed their attendance on Saturday as high-calibre guests.
Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner emphasises: "Lower Austria has seized the opportunities presented by the fall of the Iron Curtain, EU accession and EU enlargement like almost no other region. And because Europe is so important to us, we also want to help make it better again. We need a Europe that is once again more orientated towards its founding idea and focuses on peace, freedom and competitiveness instead of constantly imposing new bans and requirements. Europe must not get lost in the minutiae, but must focus on the big issues in order to keep up with the USA and China."
On the second day of the Wachau Europe Forum, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg invites the foreign ministers of the Friends of the Western Balkans and the Western Balkan states to Göttweig Abbey to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Göttweig Declaration. The aim of the talks is closer co-operation between the EU and the Western Balkan states in foreign and security policy and in matters relating to EU enlargement.
During her programme item "The Next Generation is Female" on the third day of the Europa-Forum Wachau, Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler will present a strong European women's network with the German Minister of State for Europe and Climate Anna Lührmann, the Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Shekerletova, Croatian State Secretary for Europe Andreja Metelko-Zgombic, Romanian State Secretary for European Affairs Daniela Grigore Gitman, Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna and Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Education, research and business are once again at the top of the agenda on the first day of the Europa-Forum Wachau 2024. EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Federal Minister Martin Polaschek, Federal Council President Margit Göll and WKO President Harald Mahrer have agreed to open the forum on Thursday, 20 June 2024. The expert day will be organised at Campus Krems in 2024 with the topics "Education, Health and Aerospace". This campus is particularly symbolic, as the three universities, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Karl Landsteiner Private University and the University for Continuing Education Krems, together form the largest university location in Lower Austria.
The President of the Europa-Forum Wachau, Martin Eichtinger, has organised a "Global Panel" at this year's forum to shed light on Europe's competitiveness between the major power blocs of the USA and China. The founder and President of the Center for China and Globalisation in Beijing, Huiyao Wang, as well as David O. Shullman, Director of the Global China Hub of the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. and Daniel Gros, Director of the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University in Milan, have already confirmed their participation in this panel entitled "Europe and the Sino-American Relations".
Following the impressive participation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev last year, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer will once again welcome high-calibre state guests to Göttweig Abbey in 2024 as a highlight.
On Friday afternoon, there will also be a boat trip on the Danube with the co-organising partners "IDM - Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe" and the "Vienna Economic Forum (VEF)".
Detailed information about the Europa-Forum Wachau and the current programme overview can be found at www.europaforum.at
