Programme

Connecting EU seminar

In defence of European values: The power of civil society

6-7 July 2026 -Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski', Sofia, Bulgaria

Monday, 6 July 2026   |   Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Monday, 6 July 2026

8.30 – 9.30 a.m. | Registration and coffee

9.30 – 10.30 a.m. | Welcome session

• Introduction:
  Marija Hanževački, EESC Vice-President for Communication

Welcome speeches:

• EESC President Seamus Boland (video message)

• Zornitsa Roussinova, President of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria

• Atanas Pekanov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria (tbc)

• European Commission Representation in Bulgaria (tbc)

• Teodor Stoychev, head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Bulgaria

10.30 – 11.00 a.m. | Keynote speech: (tbc)

11.00 – 11.15 a.m. | Coffee break

11.15 a.m. – 1.15 p.m. | Panel 1: Europe’s new economic compass: Balancing competitiveness, social rights and sustainability

Introduction:

Roundtable 'Made in the EU: competitive, social and sustainable' with the presidents of the three EESC Groups (30'):

• Sandra Parthie (Employers)
• Lucie Studničná (Workers)
• Cillian Lohan (Civil Society Organisations)

Moderated by: 

• Javier Arguedas – Broadcast Journalist | News Anchor, Deutsche Welle

Panellists:

• Connor Allen – Corporate lobbyist, Manager of Government & External Relations for a global Japanese electronics company
• Slavina Spasova – Associate Researcher at CEVIPOL, the Centre for the Study of Political Life at the Université libre de Bruxelles; Core Team Member of the European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN); former director of European Social Observatory
• Anne Friel – Head of Environmental Rights & Rule of Law at Client Earth
• Dr Philipp Lausberg – Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre| Europe’s Political Economy Programme

1.15 – 2.30 p.m. | Lunch break

2.30 – 4.30 p.m. | Panel 2: Europe’s democratic compass: Can trust and resilience be restored?

Introduction:

• Tackling 'TikTokcracy' in the Balkans: A blueprint for fighting algorithmic manipulation in Europe – presentation of the report by Antoinette Nikolova, director of the Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI) 

Moderated by: 

• Andrzej Bobiński – Managing director and chairman of Polityka Insight

Panellists:

• Zsófia Fülöp - journalist and fact-checker at Hungary's fact-checking media outlet Lakmusz (a member of the Hungarian Digital Media Observatory); Reuters Institute alumna, current BIRN Journalistic Excellence fellow
• Alexandra Karppi - doctoral researcher at King's College London specializing in democracy and civil society in the Western Balkans and co-host of the weekly Talk Eastern Europe podcast
• Sebastian Rodriguez – campaign strategist at European Movement International, Member of the Express2 consortium on a new EU social contract

Tuesday, 7 July

8.00 – 9 a.m. | Registration and coffee

9.30 – 11.30 a.m. | INTERACTIVE PROGRAMME

AI as a friend, not a foe

Host:

• Marija Hanževački - EESC Vice-President for Communication

Breakout sessions:

• From Chatbot to AI Agent: how AI is transforming the way we communicate 
  with David Grunewald – AI automation strategist - AI trainer - Teacher of Digital strategy (ULB)
• The impact of technology on the (dis)information space
  with Jochen Spangenberg – Deputy Head of Research & Cooperation Projects at Deutsche Welle
   

11.30 a.m. – 11.50 a.m. | Coffee break

11.50 a.m.  – 1 p.m. | WORKSHOP

• LinkedIn, the place to be for professional communicators: a crash course in using it effectively
  Liora Kern – CEO The Think Room, and visibility expert

1 p.m. – 1.05 p.m | Concluding remarks

• Marija Hanževački, EESC Vice-President for Communication

01.05 -2.00 p.m. | Lunch

Simultaneous interpreting will be provided in EN, FR and BG.