The Limits of the European Union

The interest of the European public has for some time now been aroused by numerous problems brought about by the enlargement of Europe. Debates on the geographic borders of the European Union have been accompanied by many other questions concerning European values, the European way of life, and economic, environmental and demographic problems, all of which are more far-reaching and often more decisive than the uncertainties surrounding the future administrative borders of the European Union.

That is why the Centre for European Studies, in cooperation with the Jože Pu nik Institute, decided to organise a conference entitled `Where are the Limits of the European Union?` The conference took place on 1 December 2008 in Ljubljana. Its aim was to reflect on the future of the European Union through the prism of `European borders and limitations`. The event was dedicated to obtaining new perspectives on the enlargement of the European Union, understanding the broader implications of this process and raising some important questions on the future of Europe.

The initial idea was that the conference should bring to the fore as wide a view of the issue as possible. Hence, invited speakers were leading Slovenian intellectuals and experts from various fields who, together with a representative of the Centre for European Studies, dealt with the topic from different perspectives: political, philosophical, sociological, legal and economic, and tackled a number of issues including European values, borders, the question of Turkey`s accession, media, technological development and creativity, demography and globalisation.

Twenty Years After Europe and Slovenia in the decisive year 1989: the breakdown of communist dictatorships, the processes of democratisation and the state of play twenty years later

On 26 and 27 November, in Ljubljana, the Centre for European Studies, in co-operation with the Jože Pu nik Institute, organised a two-day conference entitled ‘Twenty Years After – Europe and Slovenia in the decisive year 1989: the breakdown of communist dictatorships, the processes of democratisation and the state of play twenty years later’.

The event was dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of founding the Slovenian democratic opposition coalition Demos and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The anniversary was especially important for the Jože Pucnik Institute, which is named after the key personality of the democratisation of Slovenia and the first president of Demos, Dr Jože Pucnik.

The conference reflected upon the past and present state of democracy and pluralism in Slovenia and in Central and Eastern Europe, and analysed the shortcomings of democracy in the period of transition, while at the same time casting light on the defining moments of European and Slovenian history. It also reflected on the transitional period between the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the accession of these countries to the EU in 2004 and 2007, and attempted to connect these developments with the future.

The conference was opened by the President of the European People’s Party and Centre for the European Studies, Wilfried Martens, a former Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša, who was also one of the most important figures of Slovenian democratisation, and the President of the Board of the Jože Pucnik Institute and a former MEP, Mihael Brejc.

The conference featured 24 speakers from Slovenia, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Spain. The MEPs Tunne Kelam, Santiago Fisas Ayxela, Alojz Peterle, László Tökés and Milan Zver, as well as former MEP Istvan Szent-Ivanyi, were among the panellists.