EESC President Leads Discussions on Democracy's Future at Athens Democracy Forum

From October 1-2, 2024, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Oliver Röpke, participated in the highly anticipated Athens Democracy Forum (ADF) 2024, an event hosted by the Democracy and Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times. This year’s theme, "A Moment of Truth," addressed pressing global challenges to democracy as more than 50 nations worldwide faced national elections.

President Röpke joined the panel State of Democracy: Assessing the Mega Election Year, discussing the future of democracy as over 40% of the world's population headed to the polls. Alongside distinguished panelists such as Yamini Aiyar, Yves Leterme, and Lwando Xaso, Mr. Röpke assessed the integrity and stakes of these elections, reflecting on Europe’s role during this pivotal time. The discussion was moderated by Steven Erlanger, European Diplomatic Correspondent for The New York Times​.

President Röpke highlighted that democracy is not only about the process, it is about results as well: "I strongly believe the EU remains the best tool to defend democracy. We need to look beyond our borders and enhance civil society in candidate countries”.

In addition to his participation in the forum, the EESC President engaged in a series of media interviews. Mr. Yiannis Foskolos from imerisia.gr, a leading financial portal in Greece, interviewed Mr. Röpke, with the interview broadcast on both imerisia.gr and Open TV. He was also interviewed by Ms. Odin Linardatou and Ms. Cheryl Novak from To Vima, one of Greece’s leading weekly newspapers, where he elaborated on his views regarding the future of European democracy.

Furthermore, the EESC President held bilateral meetings, including discussions with Greek Minister Niki Kerameus on topics such as employment, social affairs, and the EU enlargement process, as well as the representation of the European Commission in these areas. These meetings highlighted the EESC's ongoing commitment to addressing socio-economic challenges and EU integration.

These discussions were crucial as they occurred during a time of heightened global tension between liberalism and nationalism. Mr. Röpke emphasized the EESC's dedication to defending democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as well as its initiatives to tackle disinformation and promote voter turnout in Europe​.