At its September plenary in Brussels, the EESC brought together EU leaders, civil society, youth representatives and international partners to mark the close of President Oliver Röpke’s 2023–2025 term of office. The ceremony, held in the European Parliament hemicycle, celebrated recent achievements while reflecting on the challenges shaping Europe’s future.

European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič underlined the Committee’s importance as the 'house of European civil society' and emphasised its role in European policymaking: 'You advocate for a competitive Europe based on the EU’s social model and supported by the green transition, showing how civil society helps bring all these elements together.’

Speakers at the ceremony warned of geopolitical uncertainty, polarisation and extremism, but also highlighted the EESC’s ability to unite voices in defence of democracy.

Youth participation featured prominently, with the Youth Test cited as a concrete achievement. European Youth Forum President Răres Voicu stressed the need to counter extremism, while youth delegates called for stronger ownership of the democratic process.

Enlargement was another key theme, with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama thanking the Committee for ensuring candidate countries felt like equals. ‘Europe’s strength lies in its people and in dialogue, not in arguing with its gods alone. Under your presidency, you converted me into a believer in social dialogue, and you ensured that our voices from the Western Balkans echoed here and were not just whispers. The EESC is the place where we Albanians, so often treated as second-class citizens of Europe, felt like equals. Europe thrives as a whole, and only as a whole,’ Mr Rama said.

Tributes were paid to President Röpke’s leadership on youth and enlargement, and to long-serving members. Concluding, he thanked EESC staff for their dedication and urged the Committee to continue reinforcing democracy, supporting enlargement and placing civil society at the heart of the European project. (tk)