26/04/2023 27/04/2023
578th Plenary session, with the mid-term elections of the Committee Bureau, President, Vice-Presidents, presidents of sections and CCMI and other EESC bodies
Mid-term inauguration ceremony on Wednesday 26 April at 2 p.m.
14:00 – 14:30
- Start of the Ceremony and Welcome by Moderators Shada ISLAM & Petra PINZLER
- Video – Expectations for the next half-term of office
- Inauguration speech by Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President
14:30 – 15:10 Institutional speeches
- Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission (Video message)
- Evelyn REGNER, Vice-President of the European Parliament
- Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight
- Pedro SÁNCHEZ PÉREZ-CASTEJÓN, President of the Spanish Government (Video message)
- Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO, President of the European Committee of the Regions (Video message)
- Emily O’REILLY, European Ombudsman
15:10 – 15:25 Presidency of the Council of the EU
- Paulina BRANDBERG, Swedish Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life
- Joaquín PÉREZ REY, Spanish Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy
15:25 – 15:40 EESC Group presidents
with moderators Shada ISLAM & Petra PINZLER in Talk Show Format
- Stefano MALLIA, EESC Employers’ Group President
- Lucie STUDNIČNÁ, EESC Workers’ Group President
- Seamus BOLAND, EESC Civil Society Organisations’ Group President
15:40 – 16:45 Round table 1
Strengthening democracy and European values together with Civil Society in the EU candidate countries
Moderator: Shada ISLAM + Video intro
Round table Chair by EESC Vice-President Krzysztof PATER
- Olha STEFANISHYNA, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, responsible for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
- Besart KADIA, Deputy Minister, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania
- Siegfried MUREŞAN, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee
- Zulfi ISMAILI, Ambassador and Head of Mission of North Macedonia to the EU
- Saška RADUJKOV, President of Youth of the Movement for Change and Ambassador of the European Democracy Youth Network
- Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President
Active participation of the audience
16:45 – 17:50 Round Table 2
Future of EU: Bringing together the social, economic and environmental dimensions
Moderator: Petra PINZLER + Video intro
Round table Chair by EESC Vice-President Laurenţiu PLOSCEANU
- Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
- Ana MENDES GODINHO, Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security
- Markus BEYRER, Director General of BusinessEurope
- Esther LYNCH, General Secretary of the ETUC
- Seán HEALY, Director, Social Justice Ireland
- Diandra NI BHUACHALLA, EESC Youth Delegate to the COP Delegation
- Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President
Active participation of the audience
17:50 – 18:00 Closing remarks
- Video – Expectations expressed by EESC staff
- Closing remarks by Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President
- European Anthem
You can follow the ceremony and the debates on Web streaming